Lockheed Martin completed 25,000 simulated flight hours on an F-16C Block 50 aircraft as part of its full scale durability test, which is designed to stress the aircraft to identify potential fatigue issues, according to a June 11 company r?elease. The F-16 fleet was designed to hold up under heavy stress for 8,000 equivalent flight hours, but the FSDT results will be used to “design and verify” a Service Life Extension Program that will extend the service life of up to 300 F-16C/D Block 40-50 aircraft to 12,000 EFH, until the service’s F-35 strikes fighters come online, according to the release. “This testing milestone clearly demonstrates that F-16s with SLEP modification can be safely operated longer than anyone previously thought possible,” said Rod McLean, vice president and general manager of the F-16/F-22 Integrated Fighter Group at Lockheed Martin.
The last remaining T-1 Jayhawk at JBSA-Randolph, Texas, took its final flight to the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on July 15. The 99th Flying Training Squadron will train pilots using T-6 and simulator until it gets T-7 Red Hawk in fiscal 2026.