Lockheed to begin supplying F-16 wings from Indian plant in 2020

[Haris Ali2140]

but rafale is in production and is much better than mirage 2000

Different class, different price.

 

[RoadRunner401]

USAF will operate F-16s till mid 40s.

I am sorry, but I have to ask, How do you know what USAF will or will not do?

 

[Haris Ali2140]

I am sorry, but I have to ask, How do you know what USAF will or will not do?

CNN)The US Air Force has decided to extend the service life of its F-16 fighter jet from 8,000 to 12,000 flight hours, a move that will keep the multi-role combat aircraft in the skies beyond 2040 and help fill the service's short-term need for more aircraft.
While the Air Force is regularly upgrading its aircraft and extending flight hour limits, stretching the F-16's lifespan by more than 20 years reflects efforts by the Air Force and other US military branches to resolve readiness issues produced by a shrinking fleet -- and will help close the gap until the delayed fifth-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is fully delivered.
The US military has found itself leaning heavily on a smaller and aging air fleet -- a trend that has leaders across all four armed service branches concerned about combat performance and pilot safety. Recent pilot shortages, budget cuts and delays to new platforms, like the F-35, have prompted Air Force brass to call the current flying force the "smallest, oldest and least ready" in history.

"We are bringing on F-35s currently, but not fast enough to solve the capacity problem we have, so we need to keep as many of the planes that we have flying in the air for the foreseeable future," Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said.
Lockheed Martin, the F-16's primary manufacturer, said Wednesday that the Air Force's approval of extended flight hours validates efforts to upgrade 300 F-16C and D model jets as part of a joint initiative to help keep US planes in the skies until the F-35 is finished.
"This accomplishment is the result of more than seven years of test, development, design, analysis and partnership between the US Air Force and Lockheed Martin," Susan Ouzts, vice president of Lockheed Martin's F-16 program, said in a press release.
The F-16 first flew in 1979 and is a combat-tested workhorse, according to the Air Force, supporting US forces in conflicts from the Persian Gulf to Iraq and Afghanistan.
It is also used by 28 of the US's international partners.
The Air Force currently has 1,200 F-16s in its inventory, and top military officials have recently floated the idea of using the versatile aircraft to replace the most successful dog-fighting jet in history, the F-15.
The cost to build each F-16 was estimated at $18.8 million in 1998.
Coupled with modernization programs, like the development of the F-16V fighter, the structural modifications made as part of the F-16 life extension "demonstrate that the Fighting Falcon remains a highly capable and affordable fourth-generation option for the US Air Force and international F-16 customers," according to Lockheed's Ouzts.

https://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/12/politics/us-air-force-extends-f-16-lockheed-martin/index.html

 

[ziaulislam]

why no,please explain with your valuable knowledge

This is private bet by two companies for india
The f16 will still be built in usa for export

If lockheed moves it to another country it will be in big trouble in long run as it will loose congressional support

 

[Trango Towers]

What does it translates into?

No sanctions

 

[Sine Nomine]

No sanctions

We are ourself a fighter manufacturer i am sure,if we desire we can reverse engineer any spare part which is denied to us.

 

[Trango Towers]

We are ourself a fighter manufacturer i am sure,if we desire we can reverse engineer any spare part which is denied to us.

Bhai trouble is for the f16 only Israel is able to add it's own systems and repair

 

[Sine Nomine]

Bhai trouble is for the f16 only Israel is able to add it's own systems and repair

We can also do that,but we chose no to do that because after doing so no support from US.

 

[Trango Towers]

We can also do that,but we chose no to do that because after doing so no support from US.

No we cant touch them