Potential Customers Of F-16

[Manticore]

Potential new/used f-16 Customers and Sellers


Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina - Federal Air Force

The 28 Pakistani AF F-16A/B aircraft stored at the AMARC could have possibly been donated to the Air Force of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a part of the US led 'Train & Equip' program. As Pakistan is already taking part in this program (training Bosnian Army Anti-tank missile teams), this is a solution that could satisfy both sides in this long dispute.

As of June 1998, the plans were in a stalemate, especially because the 'Train & Equip' program was suspended due to some confusion about the Federal Army insignia.

If the plans go ahead, the Air Force will build a new airbase to house the two squadrons of F-16s they hope to form in the beginning of the next century. If the Pakistani F-16s cannot be acquired, the Air Force will look for some other second-hand F-16A's, and hope that it has enough money to upgrade at least some of them to the MLU standard. (This modification is more or less necessary given the fact that neighboring states are fielding MiG-29s.)

The Air Force also considered purchasing stored Dutch F-16s, but as it would seem now, one squadron of ex-Dutch F-16A's will go to Slovenian Air Force (not confirmed).

The last years, nothing has been heard of a possible sale of F-16s to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Pakistani F-16s have already been used by the USAF and US Navy, so this possibility is no longer an option. Surplus European or USAF F-16s are still available on the market.

Bulgaria - Bulgarski Voenno Vzdushni Sili

In the course of 2005 the Bulgarian government has been searching desperately for new fighter aircraft to replace their aging Mig-21/23 fleet. Both options of new and second-hand aircraft have been discussed. Lockheed-Martin has offered brandnew F-16C/D block 50's while informative talks with the Belgian government to purchase second-hand F-16's with the MLU upgrade also took place. No more information is available at this moment.

---------- Post added at 04:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:00 PM ----------

Croatia - Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo

Rumor has it that Croatia is looking to replace its MiG-21bis force with a modern fighter, preferably the F-16. In the late nineties a couple of Aviano based USAF F-16C's performed a series of demonstration flights in Croatia to back a possible sale of F-16s to that country. Since, no further news has been released about the subject.

Ecuador - Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana

Ecuador hopes to procure up to 50 fighters to match Peru's recent purchase of MiG-29s from Belarus. Ecuadorian leaders have met with US officials to discuss the possible acquisition of Lockheed-Martin F-16s or Boeing F/A-18 aircraft. Because of the country's very poor financial condition it is very unlikely they will ever purchase an advanced fighter as the F-16, let alone a fleet of fifty.

India - Bharatiya Vayu Sena

In 2005 the Indian government started a tender for the acquisition of 126 multirole fighters. Information was requested about the Mig-29M2, F-16C/D, F/A-18, JAS-39 and Rafale. A decision hasn't been put forward up untill now but is expected somewhere in late 2006, early 2007.

Lockheed has already stated that if the $12 billion deal will come through, a majority of the aircraft will be build by the Indian state-owned HAL company. This would mean the Indians would become the 6th country where the viper will be build (after the US, Belgium, the Netherlands, Turkey and South Korea

 

[Manticore]

Iraq - Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Iraqiya

In September of 2008 the Iraqi government first expressed an interest in buying up to 36 advanced F-16s to reduce its reliance on US air power and potentially allow more American forces to withdraw from the country according the US military.

In the following months, this order was more then once written in some dedicated press, but since early 2009 everything went silent about this acquisition. Finally, in March of 2010 the Iraqi government formally requested 24 F-16C/D fighters from the US. Iraq made it clear that it want's up to 96 fighters in the end.

Philippines - Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas

Washington offered to sell 26 F-16 fighter planes to the Philippines, which current inventory consists of about 15 1960's era F-5A/B Freedom Fighters. The only other combat aircraft are 18 Aermacchi S.211 trainer/light attack aircraft and 3 OV-10A Bronco COIN aircraft. The Philippines are looking to procure F-16s in order to bolster its claim over the Spratly Islands. Washington offered the F-16s which were originally purchased by Pakistan but then embargoed. However, due to the Asian currency crisis, the military expansion plan will probably not go ahead.

 

[Manticore]

Romania - Fortele Aeriene ale Romaniei

At the end of 2005 rumors were spread out that Romania was in negotiations with Israel to acquire a batch of second-hand F-16A/B's. With the introduction of the F-16I in the IDFAF these aircraft are comming available on the market. The aircraft would receive an extensive upgrade (even including the so-called ACE upgrade) and overhaul in Israel with cooperation of a Romanian aircraft factory.

In 2006 it was also reported that Romania has asked for the possibility of acquiring a batch of second-hand Belgian F-16s More details have not yet been released.

In May of 2008 the Pentagon notified Congress of the possible sale of 48 F-16s as part of a deal valued at 4.5 billion dollars. Two dozen F-16s would be new F-16C/D block 50/52 aircraft and the other two dozen would be refurbished surplus USAF F-16C/D block 25 aircraft. Since then, no further news has been reported about this deal.

In March of 2010 the Romanian government decided only to opt for the second part of this deal, being the purchase of 24 second-hand USAF airframes. This decision was instigated by the difficult financial situation of Romania and the fact that a decision on the replacemnt of the aging Mig-21's has to be taken.

Saudi Arabia - Al Quwwat al Jawwiya as SA'udiya

In February 1997, Saudi Arabia announced it was considering an order of 70 to 100 F-16s to replace its aging fleet of F-5 aircraft. Total value of the order would be in the USD $5 billion to $6 billion range.

According to Prince Bandar Bin Sultan, the Saudi ambassador to the United States, who as a fighter pilot recently flew the F-16, no final decision has been made. Given the Saudi's tendency to link major military contracts to politics, this decision could well be delayed until 1999 or early 2000 to achieve maximum political impact in the next presidential elections in the US.

The Saudi's would also like to acquire the AIM-120 AMRAAM. Main interest of the Saudi's would be the proposed F-16 block 60.

Up to now, no further news about a possible sale of F-16s to the Middle East kingdom has been released. Due to the tense political situation between the US and Saudi Arabia at this moment an arms deal is not very likely to happen over the next few months.

Slovenia - Slovensko Vojasko Letalstvo

There is a slight chance that Slovenia will buy 10 to 12 F-16s in the not-too-distant future. Slovenia hosted four Aviano Block 40s on August 29th, 1997 (2 F-16C's and 2 F-16D's). During their stay, Slovenian AF pilots (among which the Commander-in-Chief) were invited for a backseat ride in one of the F-16D's. The visit was unofficial, and so far no formal announcements have been made.

As of mid-1998, it was possible that one squadron of ex-Dutch F-16A's would go to the Slovenian Air Force. Up to now no such transfer has come to pass.

Slovenia has also been offered the Kfir and the JAS-39 as alternatives.



http://www.f-16.net/f-16_users_article27.html

 

[The Clarifier]

I don't think India would want F-16s... our pilots already have much experience with them...

 

[Luftwaffe]

You forgot Serbia. Another Pro western Pro US government.

 

[Manticore]

Cancelled f16 Orders

In May of 2006 the Argentinian Chief of Staff stated that the F-16 wasn't in the running for this fighter bid since Argentinian airstrips have traditionally a lot of durt and stones on them so the lower intake would be a high risk for FOD.

After a round of talks with the different manufacturers, the Austrian government finally decided to purchase 18 Eurofighter Typhoon fighters to update their air defenses. After major flooding occurred in 2002, this decision was put on hold, but in 2003 the finla go-ahead of the project was announced.

Ultimately the Brazilean government decided to purchase 12 second-hand Mirage 2000 fighters from France.

Ultimately the Candian government opted to buy 138 F/A-18s, mainly because this aircraft was bigger and had two engines giving a supposedly better survival rate with engine failure (a theory that has proved inadiquate over the years).

At the end of 2003 however, the Czech government finally announced that the winner of their fighter competition was the Swedish JAS-39 Gripen. With that decision, the Czech government stressed its earlier commitment to the Gripen. This decision was made after SAAB agreed to a 140% offset agreement.

On September 10th, 2001, the Hungarian Government eventually decided to lease 14 JAS-39A/B Gripens from the Swedish AF. A lease agreement for 10 years was signed on December 20th, 2001. After the Parliamentary elections in April, 2002, the new Government aimed at an upgraded version of the Gripen fighter. On February 3rd, 2003, a modified agreement was signed for a 10 years lease of 12 single-seat JAS-39C and 2 twin-seat JAS-39D Gripens added with a commitment to buy the aircraft after the leasing period.

The first foreign customer, beyond the four European NATO originators, of the F-16 program was Iran. As a part of the Shah's plan to modernize the Imperial Iranian Air Force, Iran signed a letter of intent on October 27th, 1976 for 160 F-16 aircraft, with the possibility of a follow-on order for 140 more. However, the Iranian revolution of 1979 which resulted in the overthrow of the Shah and the rise of the Islamic fundamentalist regime which currently rules the country, caused the order to be cancelled.


In 2002 the newly elected New zealand government decided to abandon the plans to replace the A-4K with the Pakistani F-16s. The reason for the cancellation was because the government decided that an air combat force was not in line with its policies. Therefore the combat force was disbanded entirely.

In early 1999 however, South Africa seemed to express a definite preference for 28 JAS-39 Gripen aircraft, with an option of 20 more. The South African government has signed an agreement for the purchase of the Gripen, which will be delivered by late 2003.

The Spanish government, however, did not accept this offer and decided to buy about 24 second-hand (US Navy-surplus) F-18s.

http://www.f-16.net/f-16_users_article28.html

 

[Manticore]

http://dc168.*******.com/img/SZIKPp6Z/0.4448840350971678/JDW29July2009-13.jpg

Netherlands are in the process of transferring their F16's to Chile
US was asking too much for old F-16s
Venezuela was looking to get rid of their fleet of 20+ F-16's A/B's

--
Dutch and Belgian F-16s for Jordan

(Source: Dutch Ministry of Defence; issued April 20, 2006)


The Netherlands and Belgium signed in Amman today a Letter of Intent for the sale of 20 surplus F-16 fighters to Jordan.

Detailed negotiations for the terms of this sale of surplus equipment will begin soon. It is expected that the aircraft will be delivered to the Royal Jordanian Air Force in 2008.

The agreement was signed by Dutch State Secretary of Defence Cees van der Knaap, General Jacques de Winter on behalf of the Belgian Ministry of Defence, and Prince Feisal Bin Al Hussein on behalf of the Jordanian Ministry of Defence.

The Netherlands have offered to sell eight F-16s that have undergone a Mid-Life Upgrade (five single-seaters and three two-seaters), while Belgium will provide the other 12.

In November 2005, Jordan had already acquired three two-seat F-16s from the Netherlands for training purposes. A month later, Chile bought another 18 aircraft.

With this latest sale to Jordan, all 29 F-16s that were surplus to Dutch requirements have been disposed of.

The Royal Dutch Air Force now operates 108 F-16 fighters. (ends)


(Source: Belgian Ministry of Defence; issued April 20, 2006)

The Jordanian authorities have signed a Letter of Intent for the purchase of 20 Belgian and Dutch F-16s.

This letter opens the way for detailed negotiations on the acquisition contract, which covers MLU aircraft upgraded to the latest NATO standard. The Jordanians had shown interest in such a purchase during the visit to Amman by Belgian Defence Minister André Flahaut a few days ago.

If the contract is concluded, the entire proceeds of the sale will be paid into the defense budget account.

 

[Last Hope]

http://dc168.*******.com/img/SZIKPp6Z/0.4448840350971678/JDW29July2009-13.jpg

I heard this news before.
Then some one on the forum (Senior Member) claimned that they were built new and were $40Mn/Unit

 

[alpha124]

Also add India in the list of Cancelled F-16 orders..
100% it won't win..

 

[Manticore]

Romania to purchase used F-16 jets from Portugal
English.news.cn 2013-06-20 13:15:05

Romania to purchase used F-16 jets from Portugal - Xinhua | English.news.cn


BUCHAREST, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The Romanian government on Wednesday announced it plans to purchase a 12-strong squadron of used F-16 multirole fighters from Portugal, to replace the current Soviet-built MIG-21 Lancers.

A draft piece of legislation concerning the acquisition was passed by the cabinet and will be submitted to parliament for final approval, according to the press office of the government.

Romania will probably spend 628 million euros (842 million U.S. dollars) over five years in 2013-2017, according to an earlier release of the government.

At most 20 percent of the amount will be used to pay for the aircraft and the rest will be used for logistic support, former Defense Minister Corneliu Dobritoiu said last autumn.

The package includes everything necessary for the operation of the planes: the training of pilots, maintenance, upgrading and everything else, announced Defense Minister Mircea Dusa in April.

According to sources, the fighters are among the 25 F-16s delivered to Portugal by the United States in 1999 under the Peace Atlantis II Program. Prior to that, they had been used by the U.S. Air Force since 1984 before they were placed in storage.

The aircrafts are in "very good" condition, according the Romanian expert teams sent to Portugal to evaluate the technical condition of the multi-purpose jets with the assistance of U.S. experts.

Though the fighter jets from Portugal are already 30-years-old, they can be used for at least 20 more years, according to experts.

The Romanian Air Force operates some 48 MiG-21 Lancer jet fighters, which, after 40 years of missions, are towards the end of their flight resources.

------
Final Ex-Dutch F-16s delivered to Chile

August 30, 2011 (by Asif Shamim) - The final batch of surplus & refurbished F-16s left Volkel Air Base on Monday, 29 August 2011 heading to there new home in Chile. Thus ending a contract agreed between the governments of the Netherlands and Chile in early June 2009.



RNlAF F-16AM #J-875 is leaving from Volkel AB on August 29th, 2011 already in Chilean colors. Note the special tail scheme to commemorate the event. [Photo by Maurits Even]

On Monday, five aircraft took off from their former home base; one straggler, which could not leave on time, followed the next day.

The sale of Dutch surplus F-16 Mid-life Upgrade (MLU) fighters to Chilebegan on 1 June 2010 when the first batch of six aircraft left on 5 November 2010. A second follow on batch, took off from Volkel on 6 April 2011.

This latest transfer brings the number of former Dutch F-16 MLUs in the Chilean inventory to 36 aircraft. Twenty-nine of these aircraft are single-seat A-Models, while the remaining seven aircraft delivered are the two-seat B-Models. The Chilean Air Force also operate 10 F-16C/D block 50, which entered service in 2007, making the Lockheed Martin-built aircraft the backbone of the country’s fighter fleet.

The total price for the purchase of the 18 aircraft in the 2009 agreement is estimated at around €100 million (some CLP 787 million). However, this sum has not been confirmed by the Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD). Further, the agreement provided for the training of Chilean technicians by the Netherlands, as well as the delivery of related equipment. In April, an Il-76 transport aircraft delivered spare parts and navigation equipment for the F-16s to Chile.

According to the Dutch MoD, the latest sale of F-16s has reduced the number of combat aircraft in the Dutch Air Force from 105 to 87, including 14 for training purposes. Earlier this year, the government decided to further reduce the ageing F-16 fleet to only 68 aircraft.

 

[Manticore]

 

[Manticore]

BAE Gets Go-Ahead for Korea F-16 Upgrade
BAE Gets Go-Ahead for Korea F-16 Upgrade

December 23, 2013
Credit: USAF
BAE Systems has established a new unit in the Fort Worth, Texas, area to run its just-launched F-16 upgrade effort with South Korea and pursue other update programs for the F-16, F-15 and F/A-18.

The company announced Dec. 23 that it had reached a final agreement with Korea, which selected BAE Systems in August 2012 to equip 130-plus F-16 Block 52 fighters with active, electronically scanned array (AESA) radars, new mission computers and new cockpit displays. BAE Systems and Korea have selected the Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar for the upgrade, the first non-Northrop Grumman radar on any F-16.

The program office already has “700 man-years of F-16 experience,” according to John Bean, vice president for global fighter programs in BAE’s Aerospace Solutions sector, who also is an F-16 veteran. About 300 people will be employed at the new Alliance Airport site by the end of 2014, as BAE builds a systems integration laboratory to support the program. The first of a group of Korean air force F-16s will arrive in the coming year to start modifications for the test program, alongside a large, corporate-type jet that will act as a flying testbed for the new systems. F-16 flight tests are due in 2016.

BAE Systems estimates that 1,000 F-16s worldwide — including 830 Block 50/52s outside the U.S. — are upgrade candidates. Industry sources note that much now depends on the fate of the competing U.S. Air Force/Lockheed Martin Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (Capes) upgrade program, using a Northrop Grumman radar. Capes is not yet fully funded and may be vulnerable to budget cuts. Singapore has said that an F-16 upgrade is a higher priority than an order for F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, and Turkey is considered another important target.

However, the company has other targets in mind, including AESA upgrades for F-15s and F/A-18s that would use similar hardware and software to the F-16. Also, older F-16s that might not have enough remaining lifetime to warrant a full upgrade could benefit from modernization to replace obsolete components and overcome diminishing manufacturing source (DMS) issues, BAE says.

SOUTH KOREA FINALIZES AGREEMENT FOR BAE SYSTEMS TO PERFORM F-16 UPGRADES


A flexible and affordable approach to F-16 Upgrades.


The Republic of Korea has finalized an agreement with the U.S. government for BAE Systems to perform upgrades and systems integration for its fleet of more than 130 F-16 aircraft. The company will now begin the first phase of the work under contract through the U.S. Department of Defense’s Foreign Military Sales program.

“This agreement marks a significant expansion of our F-16 modernization business, and we’re eager to get to work,” said Erin Moseley, president of BAE Systems’ Support Solutions sector. “When we were chosen by the Republic of Korea last year, it showed that we are a viable and experienced provider of fighter jet upgrades and systems integration. As demonstrated by today’s important milestone, we offer cost-effective modernization solutions, customized to meet any country’s requirements.”

Under terms negotiated by the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, BAE Systems will upgrade 130-plus KF-16C/D Block 52 aircraft, to include associated equipment, parts, training, and logistical support. Phase One of the work will begin immediately and will involve the initial design and development of the upgrade solution. Phase Two of the work, as proposed, would begin next year and would complete the production and installation of the upgrade kits in all of the aircraft over the next several years.

BAE Systems’ experience with the F-16 dates back to the original 1970s-era aircraft, and has included flight control computers, cockpit displays, electronic warfare systems, and support equipment. Today, the company is a major provider of mission electronics and flight systems for F-16 fleets around the world. The U.S. Air Force, for example, has approximately 270 F-16s in service that have been upgraded with the BAE Systems’ fire control system and advanced Ethernet interface.

The work to upgrade the KF-16 fleet will be performed primarily at BAE Systems’ facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Other company sites in Florida, New York, California, and Virginia will also be involved. BAE Systems expects to hire approximately 300 employees to help support the program.

Production of the F-16 will likely continue through 2020
F-16.net ^ | Dec 17, 2013 | lieven Dewitte
Posted on 12/17/2013 9:49:42 PM PST by Jet Jaguar
Production of the F-16 will likely continue through 2020
Lockheed Martin has enough orders to keep its F-16 fighter jet production line humming through the third quarter of 2017. They are also pursuing additional orders and upgrades in the Middle East, South America and other markets that would keep the line running through 2020.

Around that time, the cost of Lockheed's new F-35 stealth fighter will have dropped so far that it will make more sense for potential customers to procure F-35s rather than F-16s. Last Friday Lockheed Martin marked completion of its 100th F-35 fighter.

Lockheed has produced over 4,500 F-16s since the program began in 1975, making the F-16 the best-selling fighter jet in history. The jets are flown by 26 countries, including 15 that have placed follow-on orders, Bill McHenry, Lockheed's head of F-16 business development, said in in an interview with Reuters.

The United Arab Emirates is weighing new F-16 orders and possible upgrades, but failed to announce an order at the Dubai air show as some experts had expected.

Lockheed has dramatically scaled back production of the F-16 at its facility in Fort Worth, Texas, to about one plane a month now - from a peak production rate of 30 planes a month in June 1987, said spokesman Mark Johnson. At the moment, the company is completing work on the last one of 20 F-16s it built for Egypt. That jet and seven others are being stored at the Fort Worth plant after the United States announced it would withhold most military aid due to concerns about democracy and human rights.

It is also working on 12 F-16s for Oman, several of which are in varying states of completion at the slimmed-down F-16 production line in Building 8, also known as the "Falcon's Nest," plus a total of 36 jets ordered by Iraq. One of the 145 jets being upgraded for Taiwan is also in the factory, its nose cone already open for insertion of the new Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. McHenry said Lockheed saw additional opportunities to upgrade existing F-16s to the new F-16V configuration, which includes the AESA radar, embedded global positioning, updated electronic warfare equipment and avionics systems.

He acknowledged that other companies, including Britain's BAE Systems, were trying to capture some of that upgrade work, but said Lockheed offered lower costs and greater economies of scale given the breadth of its existing work with the 26 countries that already operate the jet. The Pentagon last month approved a deal under which BAE will upgrade 134 older F-16 fighter jets for South Korea, a move that could pressure Lockheed to compete more aggressively in the hunt for upgrade deals.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

We refused the block 40 F-16s, gave the green light to the EF program instead, and placed an order for further additional 40 Tornados.

 

[Informant]

We refused the block 40 F-16s, gave the green light to the EF program instead, and placed an order for further additional 40 Tornados.

You guys got the money and it's better to have different suppliers for AC inventory. Something about eggs in a basket.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

You guys got the money and it's better to have different suppliers for AC inventory. Something about eggs in a basket.

Money isn't everything my friend, and true.

But TBQH, the F-16 Block 40 was slightly inferior