Tim Ripley
Lockheed Martin is still hopeful that the United Arab Emirates will "soon" sign up for the multi-billion dollar deal to supply 80 F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft.
Bill Anderson, vice-president of the US giant's newly formed F-16 business group, says the company "...continues to be actively engaged with the UAE and is making good progress - we are close to closure on a number of small items."
With the 4,000th F-16 due to roll off the production line at Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth plant, Anderson declared that the "Viper" had a long future ahead of it.
Sales campaigns are in high gear around the world, he says, with Chile due to decide "any day" on a six-aircraft buy. A follow-on order of 20 aircraft for South Korea is also pending and Greece is expected to formally sign the contract for 50 Block 50 versions of the F-16 it ordered last year.
Norway is still a "good prospect" for the F-16 despite reports that the purchase was being delayed. Long term prospects were also good for follow-on orders from Singapore, and the US Air Force was looking at its requirements beyond the already authorised purchase of 30 aircraft.
Lockheed Martin has brought an F-16 fitted with mock-ups of their redesigned conformal fuel tanks, which extend the range of the standard aircraft by some 800 nautical miles, to Asian Aerospace.
These improvements have resulted in a 51% improvement in gross take-off weight, 34% improvement in thrust and 62% increase in the number of weapon types available, says Anderson.
Source: Flight Daily News
