Lockheed Martin officials commemorated the delivery of the 4,500th F-16 fighter—a Royal Moroccan Air Force F-16 Block 52—during a ceremony for employees, customers, and local dignitaries at its aircraft assembly plant in Fort Worth, Tex. “The F-16 is the world standard for evolutionary fighters today, and it will continue to secure the freedom of the United States and its allies in peace and combat for decades to come,” said Larry Lawson, executive vice president of the company’s Aeronautics business area, in a release on Tuesday’s commemoration ceremony. Since the F-16’s first production orders in 1975, a total of 26 nations have purchased the fighter, according to Lockheed Martin. The company said its current F-16 production backlog includes aircraft for Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Oman, and Turkey.
In Purge, Trump Fires Brown, Slife, Franchetti, and More
Feb. 21, 2025
President Donald Trump fired Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announcing his intent to nominate retired Air Force Lt. Gen. John "Dan" Caine to replace him in a social media post Feb. 21.