The US Navy (USN) is expanding its fighter maintenance capacity to include Lockheed Martin F-16s operated by the US Air Force (USAF).
The navy on 21 December said F-16 support is “poised to become a major programme” for its Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) maintenance depot in San Diego, California.
The navy already operates a small fleet of F-16A/Bs, which are used in an adversary air training role. Under the new arrangement, the USN will establish a new depot repair line for F-16C and D models operated by the USAF.
The addition of more single-engined F-16s to the navy’s sustainment programme comes as the service is beginning to retire its older model Boeing F/A-18 carrier-based fighters. F/A-18A-D series Hornets and its oldest E/F-model Super Hornets are being phased out, as the USN acquires fifth-generation Lockheed F-35Cs for its carrier air wings.
Newer F/A-18E/Fs will also continue to serve for several decades.
The extra maintenance capacity made available by F/A-18 retirements will be redirected to help the USAF meet its F-16 sustainment needs.
The air force reached its maximum repair capacity in February 2023, according to the US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). The USAF’s F-16 programme office then reached out to navy’s programme office for specialised and proven aircraft to assess whether the naval facilities could support F-16 maintenance.
“After several visits and meetings with leadership, [we] decided to entrust FRCSW with the task of establishing a depot repair line for the F-16C and D models,” NAVAIR says.
The specialised and proven aircraft team manages full life-cycle readiness for the navy’s adversary air fleet, which includes 44 Vietnam-era Northrop F-5N/F light fighters and 14 F-16A/Bs, according to NAVAIR.
Fleets data from Cirium indicates the USN now has at least 22 F-16s in operation, including newer C and D models. The service began taking delivery of used F-16C/Ds from the USAF in 2022 to replace some of its aged F-5s.
NAVAIR says the expansion of F-16 MRO services will be “daunting, [but] not insurmountable”.
“Unlike the scheduled maintenance for the F/A-18, the F-16’s maintenance approach is based on discovery and then repairing what is found,” the navy says. “The repairs initiated are based on isolated, specific inspections.”
Despite the different approaches to maintenance between the two fighter platforms, NAVAIR notes both the F-16 and F/A-18 were designed and built in the same era – meaning their “repair techniques and engineering interpretations align”.
In addition to engine work and mechanical repairs, F-16s arriving at FRCSW will also undergo structural inspections to ensure each airframe meets its certified design lifespan.
