Lockheed Martin plans to ramp up production of modernised F-16 Block 70/72 fighters by a factor of 5-8 - so far there are only two aircraft

US defence contractor Lockheed Martin is set to multiply its Generation 4+ F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters upgraded to Block 70/72 several times over. So far, there are only two such aircraft in existence.

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Lockheed Martin built the first F-16 Block 70/72 fighter last year. In February 2023, the second aircraft rolled off the assembly line. By the end of this year, the company intends to build 5-8 more fighters.

Production of the aircraft is set up at the Lockheed Martin plant in Greenville, South Carolina. Previously, the production line was located in Texas. For the new facility, the optimal figure is to produce 48 fighter jets per year.

Lockheed Martin intends to reach the target by 2025. Currently, 136 Block 70/72 fighters remain on order, but the number will increase to 148 as Jordan wants to purchase an additional batch of aircraft. If the planned pace is reached, the orders will be fulfilled by 2027 or 2028. This means that if someone wants to buy the F-16 Block 70/72, deliveries will have to wait at least six years.

The modernised fighters have a service life of 12,000 flight hours, which is one and a half times longer compared to older versions. Thus, the F-16 Block 70/72 will still have many years to fly with the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II aircraft.

Source: Defence24