록히드 마틴은 300대 이상의 F-16 추가 주문을 예상함

[위종민]

첫 비행한 지 50년이 넘었지만, 록히드 마틴의 경영진들은 F-16이 앞으로도 300대 이상 추가주문을 받을 수 있을 것이라고 예상한다고 합니다. 사우스 캐롤라이나주 그린빌의 F-16 생산시설은 2030년대까지 가동될 것이고, 현재 수주잔량은 128기이고 내년엔 생산량을 두 배 늘려 연산 48기를 생산할 예정이라고 하네요. 

S-400 도입 이후 동결됐던 터키와의 F-16 수출계약의 동결해제 외에 태국에서도 그리펜과 경쟁중이고 불가리아와 8대 추가 수출계약이 협상 진행중이라고 합니다. 

Lockheed Martin sees 300 potential F-16 export sales 'opportunity' - Breaking Defense

Lockheed Martin sees 300 potential F-16 export sales 'opportunity' - Breaking Defense

Lockheed Martin sees 300 potential F-16 export sales ‘opportunity’

"As we work each individual case, we will adjust our [production] line as necessary to provide those capabilities as long as the demand exists," said OJ Sanchez, vice president of F-16 and F-22 programs at Lockheed Martin.

By   TIM MARTINon July 21, 2024 at 5:49 AM

US Air Force F-16s assigned to the 35th Fighter Squadron, Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, taxi on the taxiway at Roesmin Nurjadin Air Force Base, Indonesia (US Air Force)

RIAT 24 — Despite the F-16 nearing its 50th year in service, Lockheed Martin believes there’s plenty of life left in the most modern version of the jet, with executives claiming they see roughly 300 potential export orders in the future.

Lockheed thinks production on its F-16 Block 70/72 Fighting Falcon fourth-generation fighter jet at Greenville, South Carolina, could be extended into the next decade. The manufacturer currently holds a backlog of 128 planes and plans on more than doubling production next year to an annual rate of 48 aircraft.

The upturn in production and increasing international demand represents steady industrial progress for the F-16 program, previously beset by delays caused by COVID related supplier problems.

“We see clear opportunity towards about 300” new export F-16 aircraft sales, OJ Sanchez, vice president of F-16 and F-22 programs at Lockheed Martin, told reporters here.

“We are obviously working closely through the FMS process” for Turkey, “and we are excited to be talking to Thailand and the Philippines. There are a lot of countries with interest and it depends on timing….As we  work each individual case, we will adjust our [production] line as necessary to provide those capabilities as long as the demand exists.”

In January, US President Joe Biden made the decision to unfreeze an extraordinary F-16 deal for Turkey, estimated at $23 billion, after Ankara decided to end opposition to ratifying Sweden’s NATO membership application.

The breakthrough in the deal, involving the acquisition of 40 new jets and 79 upgrade packages for Turkey’s existing fleet,  follows years of resistance by Washington to clear Turkish export sales, after removing it from the F-35 fifth generation fighter program. Turkey was abruptly axed from the effort and an acquisition of 100 F-35A jets struck off, after it took delivery of Russian S-400 air defense components.

“We’re working through the final details of the foreign military sales process” for the Turkish order, said Sanchez, deferring further details to the Turkish and US governments.

In the case of Thailand, the F-16 Block 70/72 offer, which includes a “robust industrial participation proposal” faces competition from Saab’s Gripen E/F multirole jet, for a program that aims to replace a squadron of 12 F-16A and F-16 ADF jets.

The F-16 bid appeared to suffer a competitive blow this month after various trade media reports said that the Royal Thai Air Force has recommended the government approves a Gripen order.

In response Sanchez told Breaking Defense in a statement on Saturday, “We are confident the F-16 Block 70/72 will complement the Royal Thai Air Force’s existing F-16 fleet and deliver the advanced 21st Century Security capabilities and performance needed to address Thailand’s most pressing defense requirements,” Sanchez told Breaking Defense in a statement today.

Bulgaria, Bahrain, Morocco, Jordan, Slovakia and Taiwan make up a host of F-16 Block 70/72 customers currently on Lockheed’s books, but of course the company hopes to add more nations in the future.

Sanchez noted that contract sign off with Bulgaria over a second tranche acquisition of eight aircraft has entered its “final stages,” which builds off an earlier Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA). And while not a new jet, in April, Argentina closed on a $300 million deal with Denmark for supply of 24 second hand Royal Danish Air Force F-16 fighter jets.

Foreign customers have shown keen interest in the jet in the wake of the Ukraine war and as a response to increasing security concerns in the Indo-Pacific, linked to the threat of China.

Additionally, an international air force capability coalition has also pledged to deliver 80 used F-16 jets to Ukraine. US Secretary Antony Blinken, announced at the NATO Summit, earlier this month that a first F-16 transfer to Kyiv was underway.

Sanchez declined to comment on issues relating to F-16s for Ukraine, deferring to the US government, but defense analysts have consistently said that the jets will likely be used to counter Russian long range ballistic and cruise missile attacks or employed to support ground based operations.

The arrival of F-16s will not be a “silver bullet” but represents a “big thing” for Ukraine, in terms of beginning to operate “Western equipment, [adopting] Western tactics, Western doctrine, and Western thinking,” Gen. James Hecker, commander of US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), told reporters here on Saturday. “It’s not going to be [deliver] air superiority, you know, in a month, after they get it’s going to be a process that will go through, but at least we’re starting that process.”

Based on structural airframe reforms, the Block 70/72 design extends the life of the plane out to 12,000 hours, an additional 4,000 hours over older platforms.

The new jets are also integrated with Northrop Grumman’s advanced APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and a high resolution Center Pedestal Display, so pilots can have an improved tactical view of their surroundings and leverage AESA and targeting pod data, according to Lockheed Martin literature [PDF].

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2000년 즈음, "F-35는 곧 전율양산에 들어갈 터인데" 한편으로 고가의 스텔스기까지 필요하지 않은 우방국에게 여전히 F-16 수요가 있을 거라고 생각해서... F-35 양산으로 공장이 포화될 록히드마틴이 튀르키예의 TAI에게 생산을 외주줄까? 고려한다더라는 기사가 떠오르네요. (먼 산)

[위종민]

그 F-35가 전율양산에 들어가기까지 23년이 더 걸릴 거라고 누가 상상을 했을까요 ㅎㅎㅎㅎ