F-16 News

[Penguin]

Esse grande caca merece um topico para ele. E ainda por cima continua vendendo que nem pao quente...

Ares
A Defense Technology Blog

Waiting for Your F-35s? Buy Some F-16s
Posted by Graham Warwick at 2/24/2009 4:41 PM CST

While we debate the merits of the F-35, Lockheed Martin has just received a tidy $797 million contract for 30 more F-16s for Turkey. Hardly a surprise, as the sale has been in the works for some time (Lockheed getting an initial $187 million in 2007), but to any other fighter manufacturer a 30-aircraft deal would be big news. The Advanced Block 50+ F-16s - 14 single-seaters and 16 two-seaters will be assembled by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) for delivery starting in 2012 to fill the gap until Turkey's F-35s begin arriving.

The new fighters, being procured under the Peace Onyx IV program, take the total number of F-16s purchased by Turkey to 278 . Signing the $1.78 billion deal in May 2007, Turkey said it needed extra aircraft because of attrition losses and the temporary grounding of existing F-16C/Ds for a major upgrade.

TAI is updating more than 200 aircraft to a common configuration and the new F-16s will be similarly equipped, including APG-68(V)9 radar, conformal tanks, helmet displays and the ALQ-178(V)5+ SPEWS II self-protection suite being developed by local companes Aselsan and Mikes jointly with BAE Systems.

[Jacobs]

Já viu que o chile vai ter manutenção garantida para sua frota de F-16.

[Bourne]

Para quem já opera F-16, comprar mais unidades faz todo o sentido. Por que os F-35 ainda não estão disponíveis e trocar toda a logista para operar outro modelo nessas hora não deve ser muito agradável. Entretanto, começar a operar pode ser um furada.

[P44]

Lockheed wins $797 mln deal for Turkish fighters


Tue Feb 24, 2009 6:15pm EST

WASHINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) has won a $797 million contract modification to supply 14 F-16C and 16 F-16D Block 50 fighter jets to the Turkish government, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.

The Air Force modified an earlier firm, fixed-price contract with Lockheed, the Pentagon said in its daily digest of major arms deals.

In September 2006, the Pentagon approved the sale to Turkey of the 30 fighter jets, engines, radar and electronic warfare equipment, a deal valued at $2.9 billion if all options were exercised.

At the time, it said the sale would improve Turkey's ability to defend its own borders and better contribute to U.S.-led anti-terrorism efforts and NATO operations.

Lockheed, which signed a contract with Turkey in May 2007 for its part of the work, a deal valued at $1.78 billion, won an initial amount of $187 million in July 2007 to begin purchasing long-lead items for the fighter jets.

Tuesday's contract announcement paved the way for actual production work to begin on the aircraft, said a Lockheed spokeswoman. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Gary Hill and Jeffrey Benkoe)

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsN ... 0220090224

[P44]

Taiwan Renews Push for F-16 Fighter Jets


(Source: Taiwan News; issued March 16, 2009)



Taiwan has renewed a drive to buy advanced U.S.-built F-16 fighter aircraft, confronting President Barack Obama with a delicate decision.

Detailing its arms shopping list for the first time since Obama took office, Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) said Taiwan's current fighter force was inadequate to a potential threat from China. The largest part of Taiwan's air force, the F-5 fighter, has been in service for more than 34 years, said TECRO's spokesman.

"The planes now are obsolete and spare parts are difficult to obtain," said spokesman, Vance Chang, in an email response to questions about Taiwan's arms requests. China has built increasingly advanced fighters, the statement said, "therefore our air superiority capability is at a serious disadvantage."

"Taiwan's determination to defend itself is indisputable," it added.

Taiwan has been trying for 12 years to buy F-16 C/D models built by Lockheed Martin Corp of Bethesda, Maryland. The U.S. government is required by a 1979 law to provide Taiwan sufficient arms to defend itself.

Successive U.S. administrations, both Democratic and Republican, have managed the weapons flow to minimize fallout with China. In its final years, former President George W. Bush's administration would not even accept a formal request for the advanced F-16s, said the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council, which represents about 100 companies, including Lockheed Martin.

The United States "has an obligation to assist Taiwan to maintain a credible defense of its air space, which includes modern fighters," said council president Rupert Hammond-Chambers.

Taiwan wants 66 F-16 C/Ds valued at up to US$4.9 billion to bolster 150 F-16A/B models it bought in 1992.

The State Department had no immediate comment on the statement from TECRO.

In October, the Bush administration notified Congress of possible arms sales to Taiwan of up to US$6.4 billion, including Patriot "Advanced Capability" antimissile batteries, Apache attack helicopters and Harpoon anti-ship missiles.

"We were eager to achieve a golden mean - a robust package of arms sales that met Taiwan's immediate defense needs but was not perceived in Beijing as undermining the progress in cross-strait relations," said Dennis Wilder, senior director for East Asian affairs on Bush's White House National Security Council. "I believe we achieved that goal," he added in an email response to Reuters.

TECRO made clear Ma's administration was still seeking UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters built by United Technologies Corp's Sikorsky unit and design work on modern diesel-electric submarines.

These two items were cleared for release to Taiwan by Bush as part of a landmark arms offer in April 2001, but left out of the October notification to Congress. The deals were held up for years, largely by partisan hurdles to funding in Taiwan.

Wilder said the Bush administration had told Taiwan that it was not denying it any of the weapons approved in 2001, but would leave the decision to Obama.

-ends-

[Penguin]

Interessante...

[P44]

Greece has ordered a total of 170 F-16s in four batches, and will begin to take delivery in May of the final batch of 30 Block 52+ aircraft. An earlier F-16D Block 52+ is shown here. (Photo I. Lekkas)

Lockheed Martin, Hellenic Air Force Celebrate Inauguration of Newest Advanced F-16 Fighter


(Source: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company; issued March 19, 2009)

FORT WORTH, Texas --- Ceremonies were held today at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas, to commemorate the F-16 Peace Xenia IV program for Greece. The ceremony marks an important production milestone, demonstrating that the program is on schedule and on budget. This F-16 acquisition is the fourth for the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) and the nation of Greece.

Lt. Gen. Ioannis Giagkos, chief of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff, accepted the first Peace Xenia IV F-16 Block 52 advanced aircraft on behalf of his nation and expressed satisfaction with its timely delivery. "I am grateful to everyone who contributed to the design and construction of this ultra-modern weapon system. With these new aircraft, the defense and deterrent force of the Hellenic Air Force will be significantly enhanced," he said.

U.S. officials attending the ceremony included Bruce Lemkin, deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for International Affairs. Hosting the ceremony were Ralph D. Heath, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin and president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics; Dennys Plessas, vice president of business development in Greece; and John Larson, vice president of F-16 Programs.

"Lockheed Martin is pleased that through this government-to-government agreement, we are able to offer for the first time, a fully integrated and comprehensive weapon system, including a self-protection system, weapons and other subsystems which make this advanced version of the F-16 particularly effective for the operational needs of the Hellenic Air Force," said Plessas. "The recent completion of the infrastructure facilities as a special project in conjunction with this aircraft buy at Araxos Air Base, 116 Combat Wing guarantees the immediate use of this weapon system by the Hellenic Air Force."

"The F-16 we see before us today is a symbol of our 66-year friendship with the Hellenic Air Force, providing a path for the future to the next generation in aircraft with the F-35, as we continue to deliver on our promises between Lockheed Martin and the country of Greece," said Larson.

The Peace Xenia IV purchase program raises the total fighters ordered by the HAF to 170. The aircraft rolled out today is the first of 30 Block 52 Advanced F-16s being produced in the newest lot. The HAF received the F-16 Block 30 version starting in 1988, the Block 50 version starting in 1997 and the Block 52+ version in 2003. Greece has been a Lockheed Martin customer since 1943, when it acquired its first squadron of Martin A-30 Baltimore Mk III, IV and Vs.

The Peace Xenia IV program includes 20 F-16Cs and 10 F-16Ds, all powered by the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 engine. This first aircraft - a single-seat F-16C model - was accepted by the U.S. government (as agent for Greece in the Foreign Military Sales process) in January 2009, one month ahead of schedule. The U.S. government also accepted the first two-seat F-16D version in January. The first four aircraft will be ferried to Greece in May with the remainder following in 2009 and 2010.(Emphasis added—Ed.)

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The F-16 is the choice of 25 nations. More than 4,400 aircraft have been delivered worldwide from assembly lines in five countries. The F-16 program has been characterized by unprecedented international cooperation among governments, air forces and aerospace industries. Major upgrades to all F-16 versions are being incorporated to keep the fleet modern and fully supportable over the aircraft's long service life.


Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

-ends-

[Penguin]

Propaganda recente da LM....

F-16 Fighting Falcon
The Most Advanced 4th Generation Fighter
John Larson
Vice President F Program

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/paris/F-16-PAS09.pdf

[GDA_Fear]

Apelação é dose.

[HIGGINS]

Interessante...

Observe que a comparação é entre uma aeronave instável e mantida por controles servo-assistidos contra outra estável, de controles hidráulicos... E nem é tão grande assim. Agora, dito isto, me diga: qual é o projeto mais brilhante? Aquele feito sob equipe generosa e computadores, ou o outro que nasceu da mente de um velhinho, vinte anos antes?

[Carlos Lima]

Interessante...


Observe que a comparação é entre uma aeronave instável e mantida por controles servo-assistidos contra outra estável, de controles hidráulicos... E nem é tão grande assim. Agora, dito isto, me diga: qual é o projeto mais brilhante? Aquele feito sob equipe generosa e computadores, ou o outro que nasceu da mente de um velhinho, vinte anos antes?

Os 2, ... como diz o poeta, "cada um no seu quadrado".

[]s
CB_Lima

[gaitero]

Poeta, doeu...

[kekosam]

Realmente, esta comparação pegou pesado. Por que não usam os dados do Fulcrum? Seria mais lógico.

[Penguin]

Blog Ares

India - Last Chance for Super Viper
Posted by Graham Warwick at 6/23/2009 3:17 PM CDT

I'll be delighted to be proved wrong, but I can't see Lockheed Martin's F-16IN as the front runner in India's 126-aircraft fighter competition, even if it has been rechristened the "Super Viper" (farewell, belatedly, to the unloved Fighting Falcon moniker).




Artwork: Lockheed Martin

Maybe I am being ageist. I became an aviation journalist in August 1978, the same month and year that the F-16 entered service. And that seems a long time ago to me. But I'm still writing and Lockheed is still building F-16s, so maybe age is irrelevant. Certainly the fact that the F-16 is in the final years of a long production run should be irrelevant - whichever fighter India picks for local production will be built there long after the tooling has been mothballed back home.

And Lockheed Martin is certain to have raided its Lego-like box of capabilities to assemble an aircraft for India that is competitive. At Paris, F-16 program manager John Larson said the IN is basically a Block 60 with added features from the Block 50+, such as helmet-mounted cueing, and India-unique features, such as the retractable refueling probe housed in the starboard conformal tank.

The aircraft is illustrated (above) armed with JSOWs mid-wing and SLAM-ERs inboard, but most interesting is the JASSM shown on the right side of the viewgraph. That surprised a few of us at the briefing, so I asked - and it appears the stealthy conventional cruise missile hasn't been released for export to India yet...

[Penguin]

Realmente, esta comparação pegou pesado. Por que não usam os dados do Fulcrum? Seria mais lógico.

Pq quando entrou em operação em 1978 (1o voo em 1974), o caça de maior agilidade da URSS era o Mig-21Bis, o ápice da evolução do veneravel caça russo.

Quanto ao F-16 x Mig-29, recomendo:


Resumo da opera: Equivalentes, embora com diferentes comportamentos, melhor piloto, melhores armas e táticas prevalece.

Interessante artigo sobre o tema F-16 x Mig-29:

Schlemming with the Fulcrums,
F-16/MiG-29 Training in ItalyArticle by Eric Hehs

This article appeared in the July 1995 issue of Code One.

http://www.codeonemagazine.com/archives ... 2a_95.html