Lockheed lands 1.2 billion contract to upgrade F-16s for South Korea
Lockheed Martin said it has received a $1.2 billion contract to upgrade 134 F-16 fighter jets for South Korea, and will perform the work at its aeronautics complex in west Fort Worth.
The deal, which was tentatively approved by the U.S. government in July 2015, involves work that was initially awarded to BAE Systems. But that contract was canceled by South Korea in November 2014 over concerns with rising costs.
Lockheed said the upgrades would include an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, a modern commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)-based avionics subsystem, a large-format, high-resolution center pedestal display and a high-volume and high-speed data bus.
“We truly appreciate the trust and confidence the Republic of Korea has placed in us with this contract,” said Susan Ouzts, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s F-16 program, in a statement. “These upgrades are a critical piece of South Korea’s national defense and highlight Lockheed Martin’s commitment to the full lifecycle of the F-16, from production to through-life sustainment.”
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