Lockheed Martin inaugurated its new F-16 production line in Greenville, South Carolina shifting F-16 tooling and equipment previously in Fort Worth,Texas which will be used for assembling the F-35.
Lockheed had previously offered to shift the production line to India if it ordered over 100 F-16 jets and make it a manufacturing base for the F-16’s global supply chain.
The equipment has been installed in a newly-refurbished hangar in Greenville, where the company will begin manufacturing F-16 Block 70 aircraft later this year, a Lockheed Martin release said.
"This is an exciting time as we celebrate another important milestone for the F-16," said Michele Evans, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. Demand continues to soar for new production F-16s and F-16V upgrades. Bahrain became the first F-16 Block 70 customer in June 2018, Slovakia signed Letter of Agreement in December 2018 for 14 Block 70 aircraft, and Bulgaria and the US Government are currently negotiating Bulgaria's planned acquisition of new F-16 Block 70 aircraft.
The US State Department also recently approved the proposed sale of 25 new production F-16 Block 72 aircraft and F-16V upgrades for Morocco.
More than 400 new jobs will be created to support the F-16 production line in Greenville. F-16 production also supports hundreds of U.S.-based Lockheed Martin engineering, procurement, sustainment and customer support jobs and thousands of U.S. supplier jobs. A significant portion of F-16 production occurs in the supply chain, which currently includes more than 400 U.S. suppliers in 41 states.
To date, 4,588 F-16s have been produced, and there are approximately 3,000 operational F-16s are in service today in 25 countries.
Lockheed Martin has won $996 million to upgrade 84 F-16 multirole fighter aircraft to the V-configuration. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas; and Athens, Greece, and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2027
The Slovakian government signed an agreement to purchase 14 F-16 block 70/72 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin to replace its aging MiG-29 jets for an approximate $1.8 billion
Lockheed Martin has offered to manufacture in its proposed Indian facility, over 400 new F-16 Block 70 fighter aircraft and upgrade some 400 more jets for its international customers. However, its setting up a manufacturing plant will be conditional to it getting an Indian MoD contract to manufacture over 100 aircraft for the Indian Air Force
Lockheed Martin announced today an agreement to move global production of F-16 jet wings to India without any obligation on the part of New Delhi to purchase the F-16 aircraft. The manufacturing will be done at the Tata Advanced Systems Limiteds (TASL) facility in Hyderabad
Israeli Elbit Systems participated in Lockheed Martin suppliers conference held as part of its for F-21 jet Project pitch in India. “As a long term supplier of advanced avionics for Lockheed Martin, Elbit Systems is exploring ways to support Lockheed Martins efforts to maximize indigenous content on the F-21 for the Indian Air Force and on the S-76 for the Indian Navy Utility Helicopter,” an Elbit statement said
The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Bulgaria of F-16C/D Block 70/72 aircraft with weapons, communications systems and support for an estimated cost of $1.673 billion
Boeing and Lockheed Martin have won separate deals worth over $70 million combined to support Hellfire-missile mounted AH-64 Apache helicopters meant for Saudi Arabia, Pentagon announced Monday. Boeing has been awarded a $39
Lockheed Martin has won a $1.15 billion contract from the US Navy for services related to the F-35 Lightning II aircraft
United States Special Forces will soon get Lockheed Martin Indago 3 tethered Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), the company announced Monday. Withoutthe tether, Indago 3 flies for 50-70 minutes and can be carried in a rucksack, leading the group 1 small unmanned aerial system (UAS) industry in endurance and transportability
A report released on Thursday by the General Accounting Office (GAO) stated that F-35s were unable to fly 30 per cent of the time because of shortages and mismatched parts. The study was done considering the time period of May to November
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