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 The US Air Force awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in July to upgrade the systems of 1,200 F-16s in four different upgrade programs. Named Combined Life-Time Support, this four-month initial basic contract, plus five one-year options, is valued at $52.5 million. The aircraft to be supported involve nearly 700 Block 40/50 F-16s in USAF’s Common Configuration Implementation Program, which provides new avionics and cockpit improvements; 370 European aircraft receiving similar upgrades in the F-16A/B Mid-Life Update program; and modular mission computers for approximately 150F-16A/B Block 20 aircraft in the Taiwan Air Force.
The new contract transfers the responsibility for depot sustainment to the prime contractor and to the original equipment manufacturers. The goal is to provide timely, affordable support while avoiding the problem of diminishing manufacturing sources. The contract, a fixed-price agreement with a guarantee of thirty-day turnarounds for repair of subsystems, is flexible enough to accommodate additional customers and equipment. |
