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More Pakistan Air Force F-16A/B upgrade Kits Ordered
July 29, 2011

* Lockheed Martin has been awarded a new contract to provide an additional ten upgrade kits for Pakistan Air Force F-16A/B Block 15 fighters

LOCKHEED MARTIN was awarded a $42.31 million Foreign Military Sales contract on July 29 through the US Air Force for ten additional Enhanced Modernisation Program kits for Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-16A/B Block 15 aircraft.

The order follows on from a previous $325.485 million deal for 35 F-16A/B Block 15 Mid-Life Update (MLU) kits that was awarded to Lockheed Martin on May 21, 2010.

Prior to this, a deal had already been signed on June 29, 2009, with Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) for installation of the kits on these aircraft.

Pakistani defence officials subsequently confirmed on December 10, 2010, that a final agreement had been signed the previous week for the installation work by TAI.

Work then commenced around two months later, when the PAF sent the first F-16s to TAI’s facility in Ankara for upgrade. Only the first two or three aircraft are being worked on in Ankara, following which the remaining F-16s are being upgraded locally by TAI personnel in Pakistan.

Source: http://www.key.aero/view_news.asp?id=3633

Lockheed Martin awarded Pakistani F-16 upgrade deal under FMS
July 29, 2011

By Jon Grevatt - Asia-Pacific Industry Reporter - Bangkok

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a USD42.3 million contract to provide upgrade kits for F-16 fighter aircraft in service with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

The contract was announced on 29 July by the US Department of Defense (DoD) and covers the supply of 10 additional kits for the Pakistani F-16A/B Block 15 enhanced modernisation programme. The deal - awarded by the US Air Force - is being processed through the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) mechanism.

The order represents the latest effort to modernise the PAF's F-16A/B inventory, which entered service from 1983.

In May 2010 Lockheed Martin was awarded a USD325 million deal - under FMS - to provide 35 mid-life upgrade (MLU) kits for the Block 15 aircraft (as well as 18 MLU kits for F-16C/D Block 52 aircraft). These kits are being installed under a USD75 million contract awarded in 2009 to Turkey's Tusas Aerospace Industries (TAI).

Work under this deal commenced in October 2010 and will take close to four years to complete. Other PAF F-16 upgrade deals were awarded to Lockheed Martin in 2006.

The F-16 modernisation deal was announced in the same month that Washington said it would hold back military aid to Pakistan.

Pentagon spokesman Marine Corps Colonel Dave Lapan said on 11 July that this funding - which totals USD800 million - is a combination of military aid in the form of equipment and reimbursement for Pakistani military operations under the US Coalition Support Funds (CSF). The CSF is an aid programme designed to support the Pakistani armed forces in the 'War on Terror'.

Col Lapan emphasised the delayed funds could be delivered if the two nations can resolve "certain issues", which include the number of visas Pakistan will allow for US service members serving as trainers and proof of military operations under the CSF programme to enable the processing of US reimbursement.

Lockheed to provide Pakistan with 10 F-16 upgrade kits
July 29, 2011

By Greg Waldron

Lockheed Martin has secured a $42.3 million contract to provide 10 upgrade kits for Pakistan's F-16 A/B aircraft, under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme.

Despite troubled relations with Washington after the American special forces' 2 May raid into Pakistan to kill Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden, the Pentagon continues to support the South Asian country's air force.

The upgrade kit deal follows a late July announcement that specialist communications producer L-3 Communications was awarded a contract to build two F-16C Block 52 aircrew training devices for the Pakistan Air Force.

In late May, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced that Pakistan had requested a FMS deal to acquire spare parts for a number of its aircraft, including the Lockheed Martin C-130 transport, F-16 fighter and T-33 trainer, as well as the Cessna T-37 trainer.

Earlier this year the Pakistani air force inducted 17 new F-16 Block 52+ fighters into 5 Squadron - part of an 18-aircraft deal signed in 2006.

Pakistan's 34 F-16A/B Block 15 aircraft are also undergoing mid-life upgrades.

Source: Flight International

Source: Nawaiwaqt Newspaper

Lockheed Martin to provide F-16 upgrade kits to Pakistan
July 29, 2011

ISLAMABAD: The US Defence Department has awarded Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, one of world's biggest defence production firms, a USD 42.3 million contract to provide 10 additional upgrade kits for Pakistan's F-16 aircraft, a media report said Thursday.

The contract has been awarded under the Foreign Military Sales programme, Pakistan's state-run news agency Associated Press of Pakistan said.

Lockheed Martin will provide upgradation kits for the Pakistan F-16 A/B Block 15 Aircraft Enhanced Modernisation Programme.

Meanwhile, the Express Tribune in a report said the package includes 18 panel "simuspheres", logistic support up to 21 months of which 12 months on-site and nine months on-call support will be provided.

Various related hardware and software systems are also included.

Incidentally, Pakistan had earlier ordered 50 JF-17 jets from China, its largest aircraft provider. They are due to be delivered in six months, a statement from the Defense Ministry of Pakistan said.

Way back in June 2010, US delivered the first batch of Block-52 F-16 Fighting Falcon jets to Pakistan.

Pakistan paid USD 1.4 billion for the jets and an additional USD 1.3 billion for the up gradation of its previous fleet of the fighter jets, the report said.

Source: PTI