Second Iraqi F-16 Batch Ordered

Lockheed Martin received $830 million for the second batch of 18 new-build F-16 C/D fighters and associated equipment that the United States is providing to Iraq, announced the Defense Department. This foreign military sales transaction, included in the Pentagon’s April 30 list of major contracts, builds upon the order for the first 18 Iraqi F-16s in December 2011. The United States is providing these fighters to bolster the Iraqi’s fledgling air force. “Through this contract, Iraq has become the 16th F-16 customer to commit to multiple buys of the F-16,” Lockheed Martin spokesman Mark Johnson told the Daily Report on May 2. He said this order is expected to extend the company’s F-16 production line in Fort Worth, Tex., “through mid-2017.” (See also Fort Worth Star-Telegram report.)