This article is garbage. Lockheed won’t sell the F-16 to USAF, it’s foreign customers only. Lockheed has already told the USG repeatedly, “If you wanna buy F-22s or F-35s, great! Wanna buy F-16s? Hit the road, Jack.”
It really is that simple.
Oh, you don't want to sell us 240 upgraded F-16's? Fine.
We'll cut our order for F-35's by 400 and buy and extra 100 of the McDonnell Douglas/Boeing F-15's.