Lockheed Martin secures $325m Pakistan MLU kits deal
24-May-2010 JDIN
The US Air Force has awarded a USD325 million contract to Lockheed Martin to provide 53 mid-life upgrade (MLU) kits for the Pakistan Air Force......
Modernisation
In May 2010, the US Air Force awarded a USD325 million contract to Lockheed Martin to provide 53 mid-life upgrade (MLU) kits for PAF F-16 fighter aircraft. Under the FMS transaction, 45 MLU kits will be for the PAF's F-16A/B Block 15 aircraft with the remainder for its F-16C/D Block 52 aircraft. At the time of the announcement, USD121 million had already been obligated.
The deal is one of several FMS contracts that Pakistan officials have recently urged to be accelerated by Washington. Meetings between the defence officials of the two sides earlier in May focused on "more rapid delivery" of on-order equipment and services, as well as identifying additional requirements to be funded by Washington's Foreign Military Financing programme, under which Pakistan receives around USD300 million a year.