This Microwaves&RF article has been reprinted here with permission.
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $900 million contract for sustainment support and services for F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. The contract, with an estimated duration of 10 years, covers depot-level maintenance, modifications, and unplanned drop-in maintenance for F-16 fighter jets. Work will be performed at the company’s site in Greenville, SC.
The F-16 (see figure), currently in its fourth generation, is one of the world’s most advanced aircrafts. It is 49.3 ft. long with a 31-ft. wingspan and estimated service life of 12,000 hr. It is capable of speeds to 1500 mph (better than Mach 2). A total of 4,588 F-16 fighter jets have been produced and are being operated by 25 countries.
The latest version of the F-16, the F-16 Block 70/72 Fighting Falcon, features an aircraft structure designed to last 50% longer than previous production F-16 aircraft. The aircraft features an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system supported by software upgrades not available in previous generations of the aircraft. Additional advances include the latest Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation capabilities, and advanced datalink, and an automatic ground collision avoidance system (GCAS).