The Pentagon has notified Congress of a potential foreign military sale of 18 F-16s to Oman. Under a deal with an estimated total value of $3.5 billion, Oman would acquire new-build F-16 Block 50/52 aircraft and associated parts, training, and logistical support, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency’s Aug. 3 announcement. Among the equipment on these F-16s would be AN/APG-68(V)9 radars, joint helmet mounted cueing systems, and Sniper or “similarly capable” targeting pods, said DSCA officials. “The proposed sale will provide a significant increase in the Royal Air Force of Oman’s capability to train with US and coalition forces and augment coalition forces in a regional conflict,” they wrote. Oman currently has 12 F-16s in its inventory. In June, the US Air Force began deliveries of new F-16s to Pakistan under a separate FMS arrangement.
The Pentagon plans to use U.S. Air Force C-17s and C-130s to deport 5,400 people currently detained by Customs and Border Protection, officials announced Jan. 22, the first act in President Donald Trump’s sweeping promise to crack down on undocumented immigrants and increase border security.