The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $199.3 million foreign military sales contract towards the purchase of 18 F-16C/D Block 52 fighters for the Iraqi air force, according to the Pentagon’s list of major contracts for July 24. This contract is the second funding installment on these 18 F-16s, following the initial $835 million contract for them last December. Lockheed Martin is on the books to supply 12 single-seat F-16Cs and six two-seat F-16Ds to the Iraqis, with deliveries scheduled to occur between May 2014 and January 2016, company spokeswoman Laura Siebert told the Daily Report. The Iraqis would like to acquire a total of 36 F-16s. To that end, the White House notified Congress late last year of the possible sale of an additional 18 F-16 Block 52 airplanes.
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.