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A military statement said Monday it lost contact with the F-16 jet over a mountainous area in Osmaniye province, which is close to the border with Syria. ... The statement said the pilot radioed in to say he was ejecting before contact was lost.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel Aerospace Industries says it has signed a long-term contract with U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin to produce wings for the F-35 next-generation fighter jet. The state-owned company said Tuesday the contract is for 10 to 15 years and could generate up to $2.5 billion in sales. It says the wings will be made at an Israeli facility that already produces wings for Lockheed's F-16 warplane. The F-35 is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program, with an estimated cost of nearly $400 billion. The program aims to replace a wide range of existing aircraft for the U.S....

The U.S. Air Force prefers to use its F-16 fighters for everything. While the F-16 is a capable and versatile aircraft, the main reason for using it so much is because it is so cheap to operate. It costs the air force $23,000 per hour to operate an F-16C. Other fighters are much more expensive. An F-22 costs $68,000 an hour, while an F-15C costs $42,000 and an F-15E $36,000. The only aircraft that beats the F-16C is the A-10C, which costs $18,000 an hour. But the A-10 is not a fighter and is optimized for ground support. The F-16...

Four more F-16 fighter jets left the U.S. on Thursday headed for Egypt as part of a foreign aid package that has generated controversy given the political upheaval in the Mideast country. Critics say the military aid should stop because the president Egyptians elected last year has led the Muslim Brotherhood, called President Obama liar and urged that hatred of Jews be instilled in children. A source who works on the naval air base in Fort Worth, Texas, confirmed to FoxNews.com the departure of the state-of-the-art fighter planes. The new shipment brings the total number of F-16 jets given to...

A US Air Force F-16 has crashed near Bagram Air Field in eastern Afghanistan, killing the pilot, according to the NATO command that oversees day-to-day operations in Afghanistan. The crash occurred on April 3, after a night flight over mountainous terrain, the ISAF Joint Command announced in a news release. There was no indication of enemy fire in the area at the time of the Wednesday’s crash, in the east of the country. The plane was on its final approach to land at Bagram Air Field after a routine air support mission around 11 p.m. when it lost contact with...

Turkey to replace F-16s with local jets Turkey eyes replacing F-16s with locally produced fighter jets by 2023, Turkey’s defense undersecretary said yesterday. “We’re working on the conceptual design of a new fighter jet that will replace our F-16 fighters,” Defense Industry Undersecretary Murad Bayar said yesterday on the sidelines of the two-day International Air&Space Power (ICAP) Conference being held in Istanbul. Recently, Turkish arms manufacturer TAI has signed a technical assistance deal with Swedish Saab on technical assistance to build a fighter jet, as Daily News reported. Turkish officials have been in talks with Saab (and with Korean Aerospace...

Egypt received four F-16 aircraft from the United States on Sunday, the Egypt Independent reports. According to the report, the country’s Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi praised the growing military cooperation between Egypt and the U.S. after receiving the four fighter jets.

It's unfortunate, but not shocking, that every single Democrat in the United States Senate (with the exception of two abstentions) voted to give Muslim Brotherhood-controlled Egypt brand-spanking new F-16 fighter planes and M-1 tanks. What is shocking is that 26 Republicans voted with the Democrats and squashed the Rand Paul Amendment that would have prohibited the "the sale, lease, transfer, retransfer, or delivery of F-16 aircraft, M1 tanks, or certain other defense articles or services to the Government of Egypt." And if you want to know the names of the 26... just have a look... Do any of these Republican...

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – The body of an Air Force F-16 pilot who went missing during a night training flight late Monday was found Thursday off the coast of Italy, his family announced in a statement. “It is with great sadness that we announce that the body of Captain Lucas Gruenther was found in the Adriatic Sea this afternoon,” the statement said. Gruenther and his F-16 Fighting Falcon went missing at about 8 p.m. Monday roughly 150 miles south of Aviano Air Base, where his unit, the 31st Fighter Wing, is based. A massive search effort ensued, including Italian coast guard...

Egypt's president is a current member of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood is the ideological parent of Al Queda and other violent Jihadist groups waging war against the U.S. in particular and the West in general. As recently as 2010, President Morsi labelled Jews as "descendants of apes and pigs." The current administration rightly called those remarks "deeply offensive." We have no reason to believe Mr. Morsi does not still hold those beliefs, protestations to the contrary notwithstanding. He has recalled no transformative event which caused him to change his thinking. Thus, Egypt's Morsi should not receive any more...

For Immediate Release – January 3, 2013 Washington, DC – Phoenix International Holdings, Inc. (Phoenix) announces the successful underwater search and recovery of a U.S. Air Force F-16 aircraft from over 16,400 feet of sea water (fsw). In early August 2012, at the direction of the Naval Sea Systems Command’s Director of Ocean Engineering, Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), Phoenix mobilized the Navy’s ORION deepwater side scan sonar system, the CURV 21 remotely operated vehicle (ROV), and the Navy’s motion compensated, 30,000 pound Fly-Away Deep Ocean Salvage System (FADOSS). All equipment was transported over land from Phoenix’s facility in...

Calls decision to give Muslim Brotherhood F-16s as 'unwise' Congressman Ted Poe, R-Texas, says it is irresponsible for Barack Obama to be “arming” a country that may be aiming for the destruction of Israel with a shipment of 20 F-16 fighter jets. “It is reckless and unwise for the U.S. to give F-16s to Egypt and its new president/dictator, controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood,” he told WND. “This extremist group is notoriously anti-American and anti-Israel. The United States should not be arming a country ruled by a group that has the destruction of Israel in its charter.” Poe’s comments fall...

Why is Obama arming the enemies of freedom? This cat is dangerous and scary. Why the support of Islamic revolutions whose stated goal is sharia and a universal caliphate? What's he doing to protect the oppressed religious minorities in peril? America, time to remove your morphine drip. Wake up! More tanks for Egypt this year than the entire Marine Corps has... For the new Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood dominated government, the Obama Administration is ensuring another $1.3 billion annual shipment of state-of-the-art weaponry. More Perspective... This year alone, Obama will be sending the Egyptians 200 M1A1 Main Battle Tanks. Egypt already...

Considering the fact that the Egyptian military has just aligned themselves with President Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, this is a stupid, stupid, move. Fox News: ******** Instability in Egypt, where a newly-elected Islamic government teeters over an angry population, isn't enough to stop the U.S. from sending more than 20 F-16 fighter jets, as part of a $1 billion foreign aid package. The first four jets are to be delivered to Egypt beginning Jan. 22, a source at the naval air base in Fort Worth, where the planes have been undergoing testing, told FoxNews.com. The North African nation already...

Israel's military police are investigating the theft of F-16 fighter plane engines from an military base in central Israel, with the military suspecting that the thieves had inside help. The F-16C/D 'Barak' jets were undergoing repairs. The base commander contacted the military police after discovering the engines missing. There were no details how many engines or engine parts were stolen but the radio report said the estimated worth is the millions of dollars. The thieves seems to have been assisted by someone within the base. Among other things, there is the fact that there was no damage to the base's...

FORT WORTH, Texas — For nearly four decades, the F-16 has ruled the skies in the international market for fighter jet sales, a money-making flying machine for Lockheed Martin and its predecessor, General Dynamics. Now a number of nations are planning to spend billions to upgrade their fleets of older F-16s with modern “avionics,” digital electronic controls, communications and combat systems. Lockheed has the inside track to cash in on that business, but faces potentially strong competition. The announcement last week that the U.S. government had awarded Lockheed a $1.85 billion contract to upgrade Taiwan’s 145 F-16s is the first...

Lockheed Martin hopes to cash in by upgrading F-16s By Bob Cox rcox@star-telegram.com For nearly four decades, the F-16 has ruled the skies in the international market for fighter jet sales, a money-making flying machine for Lockheed Martin and its predecessor, General Dynamics. Now a number of nations are planning to spend billions to upgrade their fleets of older F-16s with modern "avionics," digital electronic controls, communications and combat systems. Lockheed has the inside track to cash in on that business, but faces potentially strong competition. The announcement last week that the U.S. government had awarded Lockheed a $1.85 billion...

FAIRBANKS — Alaska's senior U.S. Senator accused the Air Force Wednesday of taking steps to break the service's commitment to delay for one year any plan to move Eielson's F-16s out of the Interior. In a letter sent to new Pacific Air Force Commander Gen. Herbert Carlisle, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said a U.S. Air Force contractor has been discussing plans to do an environmental assessment required for the F-16 transfer. “I write today to express my concern about some disturbing news suggesting that contrary to commitments that senior leaders have made to the Alaska congressional delegation and congressional defense...

July 22, 2012 (by Asif Shamim) - An F-16C crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of northern Japan today. The pilot ejected and was rescued according to the Japanese Coast Guard some six hours after the aircraft went down. The jet from the 35th Fighter Wing, took off from Misawa air base in Aomori and crashed about 11.30hr Japan time (02.30 GMT) some 200 miles North-East of Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, the spokesperson said. "One person, the pilot, was on board. Efforts are currently underway to retrieve the pilot," she said, reading from a statement. Reuters have gone...

urkey has scrambled six F-16 fighter jets near its border with Syria after Syrian helicopters came close to the border, the country's army says. Six jets were sent to the area in response to three such incidents on Saturday, the statement said, adding that there was no violation of Turkish airspace. Last month, Syrian forces shot down a Turkish jet in the border area. The incident further strained already tense relations between former allies. Turkey's government has been outspoken in its condemnation of Syria's response to the 16-month anti-government uprising, which has seen more than 30,000 Syrian refugees enter Turkey....

France Eyes Sale of Missiles for U.S.-Made F-16 Fighters -Report France's military procurement agency DGA is considering authorizing the sale by Sagem, a unit of French aerospace supplier Safran SA (SAF.FR), of its AASM air-to-ground missiles to equip the F-16 fighter made by Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) of the U.S., reports Les Echos, citing unnamed sources. It says the proposal is unlikely to please Dassault Aviation (AM.FR) which makes the Rafale multi-role combat aircraft that competes with the F-16. Sagem sells the AASM to foreign buyers in cooperation with MBDA, a missile maker whose shareholders include European Aeronautic Defence &...

Why is the US considering F-16 sales to Taiwan? Political shifts in China, Taiwan, and the US have revived the prospect of a US F-16 deal with Taiwan. Taipei, Taiwan In September, the United States politely told Taiwan it would not sell its late-model F-16 fighter jets to help Taiwan keep up with the military might of China. Taiwan was disappointed. China's response was low key. his month, however, the White House said the sale deserved “serious consideration.” This announcement comes despite the fact that China sees any sale of the F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan as a red line...

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers has voted to go on strike against Lockheed Martin. The decision to decline the latest contract offer from the giant defense contractor came at a meeting of union members at Fort Worth's Cowtown Coliseum Sunday afternoon.

Israel is increasingly concerned with the military build-up in Iraq amid intelligence reports that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) is solidifying its presence in the country, according to a senior IDF officer. Of particular concern is the Pentagon’s approval in late 2011 of the sale of 36 F- 16 multi-role combat aircraft to Iraq. The planes will be built by Lockheed Martin in the US and are Block 52 F-16s, meaning that they are of the same configuration as Israel’s F-16Is, called Sufa (Storm). “We are carefully watching the developments in Iraq,” the IDF officer said. “The possible developments...

In late 1969, a conspiracy was hatched in secret all-night meetings in Washington, D.C. area hotel rooms that would have a profound impact on military aviation and Fort Worth. A handful of people were at the meetings: two rebel Air Force colonels, a Pentagon analyst and a General Dynamics engineer. Their goal was to create a fighter jet -- a relatively simple, inexpensive plane that could be sold by the hundreds. Fortunately, the conspirators succeeded, probably beyond any of their wildest dreams. On Tuesday, Lockheed Martin will celebrate delivery of the 4,500th F-16, the direct result of those late-night meetings....

In late 1969, a conspiracy was hatched in secret all-night meetings in Washington, D.C.-area hotel rooms that would have a profound impact on military aviation and Fort Worth. A handful of people were at the meetings: two rebel Air Force colonels, a Pentagon analyst and a General Dynamics engineer. Their goal was to create a fighter jet -- a relatively simple, inexpensive plane that could be sold by the hundreds. Fortunately, the conspirators succeeded, probably beyond any of their wildest dreams. On Tuesday, Lockheed Martin will celebrate delivery of the 4,500th F-16, the direct result of those late-night meetings. It's...

Lockheed Martin to celebrate delivery of 4,500th F-16 In late 1969, a conspiracy was hatched in secret all-night meetings in Washington, D.C.-area hotel rooms that would have a profound impact on military aviation and Fort Worth. A handful of people were at the meetings: two rebel Air Force colonels, a Pentagon analyst and a General Dynamics engineer. Their goal was to create a fighter jet -- a relatively simple, inexpensive plane that could be sold by the hundreds. Fortunately, the conspirators succeeded, probably beyond any of their wildest dreams. On Tuesday, Lockheed Martin will celebrate delivery of the 4,500th F-16,...

Iraq is acquiring an array of missiles and other sophisticated systems for the 36 Lockheed Martin F-16s it's buying to build an air force but Washington is reluctant to provide Baghdad with the most advanced U.S. weapons. U.S. officials say they are worried that a strong Iraqi air force with offensive weapons systems would alarm Iraq's neighbors. Saddam Hussein invaded Iran in 1980 and Kuwait a decade later. Even nine years after Saddam was toppled in the 2003 U.S. invasion, Saudi Arabia and its Sunni Muslim allies in the Persian Gulf remain deeply suspicious of Shiite-majority Iraq and its Shiite...

Airbus completes qualification of Mirage 2000 and F-16 for UAE in flight refuelling Posted 26 March 2012 · Add Comment Airbus Military has successfully completed receiver qualification of the two primary aircraft-types that the UAE Air Force will refuel from the three A330 MRTT multi role tanker transports that it currently has on order. In an extensive series of flight tests in Abu Dhabi, the compatibility of the new generation A330 MRTT with UAE Air Force Mirage 2000 and F-16 Block 60 fighters was fully demonstrated. Operating from Al Dhafra airbase, the aircraft performed air-to-air refuelling at speeds throughout the...

For the third time in the last six months the Israeli Air Force has hosted foreign fighter pilots for tactical training. Israeli fighter pilots are considered the best trained in the world, and Israel maintains a special training program, complete with pilots trained and equipped to operate as likely foes would, to train their own pilots. The latest nation to send fighters and pilots for training is Poland, flying F-16s in for that purpose. Previously, Italy had sent Typhoons and Tornados and Greece F-16s. The Israeli training center is based on the one pioneered by the U.S. Air Force Red...

Polish fighter jets arrived in Israel this week for joint training with the Israel Air Force in the Negev. The Polish dispatched a number of F-16 fighter jets which have been holding maneuvers alongside IAF F-16 and F-15s. The maneuvers are based in the Uvda Air Force Base near Eilat. "We learn from one another and it helps us learn from the Poles, how they fly and their doctrines," a senior IAF officer said Wednesday. Gen. Broni Lech Majewski, commander of the Polish Air Force, arrived in Israel on Monday to oversee the drill. This is the first time that...

Show of force: Hundreds of fighter jets paraded in South Korea as US displays its military might Kim Jong-un, take note. After the North Korean leader made his first visit to the tense demilitarised border and Pyongyang agreed to freeze its nuclear weapons programme, United States and Republic of Korea aircraft joined forces in this huge display of F-16 Fighting Falcons. As these pictures from Kunsan Air Base show, hundreds of the jet fighters stretched as far as the eye could see. Formidable: Row after row of F-16 Fighting Falcons fills the airstrip in a show of force at Kunsan...

Brigadier Ali Khan, currently facing court martial for alleged links with the banned Hizbut Tahrir, had conspired with an air force pilot to bomb the General Headquarters with an F-16 jet during a conference of the corps commanders, reported BBC on Thursday. Brig Ali Khan was arrested last year on suspicion of having contacts with the Hizbut Tahrir. He has been accused of trying to stage a rebellion against the government and planning an attack on the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. His family has denied the charges. Major Suhail Akbar, a prosecution witness, said in his statement that Khan and...

The Pakistan Air Force received the last of 18 new F-16C/D Block 52 fighters from Lockheed Martin in early February. Accompanying the aircraft on its delivery flight were two PAF F-16A Block 15s that have undergone the mid-life update process in the U.S. A few days later, the PAF also accepted the first of its F-16s to undergo an avionics and structure upgrade in Turkey. Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has been selected to do the work on 41 PAF F-16s, in a program named Peace Drive II. Modification of the first aircraft began in October 2010 and the last should...

In case you haven’t seen this, the Air Force is flying F-16s on biofuel derived from the camelina plant. Yup, years after the air service certified most of its aviation fleet to fly on coal-derived synthetic fuel (stuff that was pioneered by the Nazis and apartheid-era South African governments because no one liked them and the world cut off their oil supplies) it is now certifying its jets to fly on something a little more environmentally friendly. (The Navy has been working to get its ships and planes certified to run on biofuels for a while now, too.) Its plan...

For months now, Pentagon and service officials have said it will need all the help it can get from its international partners, as the department begins its swing from Southwest Asia to the Western Pacific. But that help won't include outfitting the South Korean air force with a key, U.S.-built radar system. Pacific Command chief Adm. Robert Willard stopped short of agreeing to equip South Korea's fleet of F-16 fighters with the next-generation Active Electronically Scanned Array radar. Air Force models have already gotten AESA upgrades, which allows U.S. warplanes to track multiple targets during flight. The F-35 Joint Strike...

Lockheed Martin has unveiled a new version of the F-16 at the Singapore Airshow. The F-16V will feature enhancements including an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, an upgraded mission computer and architecture, and improvements to the cockpit - all capabilities identified by the U.S. Air Force and several international customers for future improvements. With nearly 4,500 F-16s delivered, this is a natural step in the evolution of the world's most successful 4th generation fighter. The Fighting Falcon program has continually evolved as it began with the F-16 A/B as the lightweight fighter then transitioned to F-16 C/D and Block...

Turkey-Greece engage in mock dogfights over Cyprus as Israeli PM arrives GREEK AND Turkish jets tangled in mock dogfights in Cypriot airspace yesterday just as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was arriving on the island, reports said. According to Sigma, around 11am three Greek Mirage-2000 fighters began shadowing two Turkish F-16 jets after the latter flew between Rhodes and Crete on their way from the eastern Mediterranean where Turkish ships were conducting wargames with live ammunition. The Turkish military exercise, the Foreign Minister said earlier, took place within Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone, in waters south of the island and close...

A single-engine aircraft carrying drugs broke the temporary flight restriction around LAX as President Barack Obama was returning to the airport aboard Marine One, sources told NBC News. NORAD fighter jets scrambled out of March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County and immediately surrounded the Cessna 182, escorting it to the Long Beach Airport. "After intercepting the aircraft, the F-16s followed it until it landed without incident at approximately (11:30 p.m. PST), where the plane was met by local law enforcement," according to a statement from NORAD. Sources told NBC News that about 10 kilograms of marijuana were discovered aboard...

F-16V, New Avatar Of F-16 Fighter, Unveiled At The Singapore Air Show Lockheed Martin today announced the F-16V Fighting Falcon, the latest version of the world’s most successful fighter aircraft, at the Singapore Air Show 2012. The aircraft comes fitted with an active electronically scanning array(AESA) radar, an upgraded mission computer and cockpit improvements which will significantly enhances the operational capability of the aircraft. The aircraft will be offered to existing as well as potential customers looking for an avanced fourth generation fighter, said George Standridge, Lockheed Martin Vice President of business development. The F16V is a natural step in...

Jets from the 20th Fighter Wing provided a key role in taking a down corrupt regime during Operation Unified Protector. Their actions in OUP led to the capture of Moammar Gadhafi, the Libyan dictator for 42 years, by the Libyan revolutionaries on Oct. 20, 2011. The 20th FW first sent support at the beginning of April to support NATO forces in protecting the Libyan civilians from the dictatorship. "Around the middle of March, when things were starting to heat up in Libya, we were starting to pay attention," said Col. Charlie Moore, 20th FW commander. "It became apparent that we...

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress Feb. 2 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Poland of F-16 support and munitions, as well as associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $447 million. The Government of Poland has requested a possible sale of 93 AIM-9X-2 SIDEWINDER Block II Tactical Missiles, 4 CATM-9X-2 Captive Air Training Missiles, 65 AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, 42 GBU-49 Enhanced PAVEWAY II 500 lb Bombs, 200 GBU-54 (2000 lb) Laser Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) Bombs, 642 BLU-111 (500 lb) General Purpose Bombs, 127 MK-82 (500 lb) General...

Alaska’s Congressional delegation has released their statements over a proposed plan to move a F-16 Aggressor squadron from Eielson Air Force Base to Elmendorf Air Force Base and retire four C-130 transport aircraft at Elmendorf. The move is part of a nationwide defense budget reduction and has left the delegation unhappy. Eielson Air Force Base survived closure in 2005 during a round Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) review. According to the Fairbanks North Star Borough’s most recent Community Research Quarterly, the base employs 1,803 military active duty personnel and 2,871 family members. Here’s the delegation’s full responses. Sen. Lisa...

U.S. plans $2.8 billion upgrade of F-16 fighter 7:14pm EST By Jim Wolf WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force said Thursday it plans a $2.8 billion upgrade of about 350 of its aging F-16 multi-role fighter planes to help offset slower purchases of the next-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The work, running into the 2020s, will extend the service life of select F-16 airframes. Other upgrades include advanced radar, sensors, cockpit display, electronic warfare and communications capabilities, the service said. "We have worked through the implications of the delays in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program," Air Force Secretary...

U.S. should let Taiwan buy F-16 fighter jet Vice President Joe Biden is in Fort Worth today for two private fundraising events for President Barack Obama's re-election campaign. Given that Tarrant County ranks second only to Orange County, Calif., for its deep-red Republican hue, there probably wasn't a need to book the convention center. That's not to say this slice of Texas is devoid of elected Democrats. State Sen. Wendy Davis and state Reps. Marc Veasey and Lon Burnam have all garnered a headline now and then for their work in Austin. Of course, Veasey hopes to have an opportunity...

WASHINGTON: Despite all the hissing and spitting from both sides in course of a deteriorating bilateral relationship, the Obama administration has clarified that the United States is continuing to supply new F-16s to Pakistan and upgrading the existing fleet. "Some media have reported a stoppage in the US-Pakistan F-16 program. These reports are not accurate. Neither Pakistan nor the United States has cancelled the F-16 program," a US official said on Thursday, contesting some of the virulent anti-US grievances published in the Pakistani press. The official maintained that planned delivery of the last "new-buy" F-16 purchased by Pakistan is scheduled...

Omani F-16 win delivers blow for Eurofighter By: Craig Hoyle London Oman has placed a surprise follow-on order with Lockheed Martin for a second batch of 12 F-16C/D Block 50 fighters, with the development appearing to have ended the UK's hopes of selling Eurofighter Typhoons to the nation. Announcing the deal in a 14 December contract notification, the US Department of Defense said Muscat will acquire 10 single-seat fighters and a pair of two-seat trainers under a deal worth $600 million. These will join eight and four of the respective types already in service with the Royal Air Force of...

US offered F-16s ‘to anticipate rising China’ Mustaqim Adamrah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The United States has reportedly asked for Indonesia’s help to counter the increasing influence of China, particularly in the South China Sea, which some foreign policy analysts say reflects the US’ strategy of “proxy by war”. An Indonesian source, who closely followed the contacts between the two countries, recently told The Jakarta Post that the US had asked Indonesia to receive 24 used F-16 fighter jets from the US, rather than purchasing new ones that would come in a fourth number of the granted units. The Indonesian...

Indonesia to buy 24 refurbished US F-16 fighters (Reuters) - The United States plans to supply 24 refurbished F-16C/D fighter aircraft to Indonesia, the presidents of the two countries announced in Bali on Friday on the fringes of an Asia-Pacific summit. It was the second militarily significant announcement of President Barack Obama's ongoing nine-day Asia-Pacific trip. The upgraded Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) F-16s will give Indonesia a "much-needed" capability to protect its sovereign airspace, the White House said in a "fact sheet" that emphasized the relatively low price tag, put at $750 million by the Pentagon. Under a separate tightening...

Turkey to rewrite software source codes of 204 F-16 fighters The US administration agreed in principle almost two months ago for the transfer of information over software source codes of US Lockheed Martin-made F-16 fighters to Turkey. Once the agreement is completed, and if approved by the US Congress, Turkey will have the capability to automatically modify the software source codes of the fighters’ weapons systems with national software source codes, said US sources who asked not to be named.Turkey will become the first nation among 26 to have the F-16s in their inventories and have the ability to receive...