U.S. Air Force Considering Once Again to Buy New F-16s
The move would be the Air Force’s first new F-16 buy in more than 20 years as it seeks to rebuild fighter capacity.
- The U.S. Air Force is considering buying newly built F-16 Fighting Falcon jets to address capacity shortfalls in its aging fleet, a potential purchase that would mark the service's first acquisition in more than 20 years.
- Facing a gap between current inventory and the legally mandated 1,145-fighter requirement, the Air Force aims to grow its fleet to 1,558 aircraft by 2035, while the existing 826 F-16s average 34 years old.
- Lockheed Martin's proposed F-16G, based on the Block 70, would feature a 12,000-hour service life and upgrades including conformal fuel tanks and 600-gallon wing tanks, manufactured at Greenville, South Carolina.
- While the Air Force has not committed to purchasing new F-16s, officials are currently analyzing options for the next Future Years Defense Program, with potential pairing of the F-16G and Collaborative Combat Aircraft to enhance combat relevance.
- Buying F-16Gs would parallel the recent acquisition of F-15EX Eagle IIs, offering a more affordable, sustainable alternative to the complex F-35, though securing funding remains a significant hurdle as the service balances competing budget priorities.
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Lockheed Martin, the company behind the F-35 and F-22, lost the Air Force’s sixth-generation jet to Boeing and is now pitching a new F-16 — a fourth-generation fighter the service stopped buying 20 years ago — because it needs 460 more jets by 2035 and cannot stand up new stealth lines fast enough
Here Comes the F-16G Fighter: Lockheed Martin shocked everyone recently when the company behind the F-35 Lightning II and the F-22 Raptor started pitching an advanced, updated version of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. To be clear, the F-16 is a fourth-generation warplane that the United States Air Force stopped purchasing 20 years ago. Despite its age, the iconic warplane may be the Air Force’s most important fourth-generation aircraft. For years, th…
U.S. Air Force Considering Once Again to Buy New F-16s
The U.S. Air Force is considering the acquisition of newly built F-16s, possibly an upgraded F-16G variant, to address the aging of the fleet. The U.S. Air Force is once again considering the acquisition of newly built F-16 fighter aircraft, according to multiple sources who spoke with Air and Space Forces Magazine and Aviation Week, […]
Lockheed hopes to sell a new F-16 to U.S. Air Force
Lockheed Martin is pitching the U.S. Air Force on a new version of the F-16 fighter, designated the F-16G, as a way to replace aging Fighting Falcons faster than the F-35 production line can keep up. Multiple people familiar with the aircraft told Aviation Week that the F-16G builds on the current Block 70 F-16, […]
Air Force Eyes New-Build F-16s to Boost Fighter Force
The Air Force will consider acquiring new F-16 Fighting Falcon jets to answer capacity shortfalls in its aging fighter fleet, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. These discussions are happening as the Air Force is building its proposed fiscal 2028 budget and the five-year spending plan that goes with it. The post Air Force Eyes New-Build F-16s to Boost Fighter Force appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.
Key takeaways To fill an ever-growing gap in its combat fleet, Lockheed Martin is proposing the F-16G, an advanced version of the Fighting Falcon, to the U.S. Air Force. This proposal is intended to accelerate the replacement of aging fighter jets, as the current production rate of the F-35 is insufficient to meet immediate needs […]
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