Iraq gets first Lockheed Martin F-16 aircraft
Fort Worth, Texas, June 6, 2014
Lockheed Martin, a global security and aerospace company, has delivered the first of 36 F-16 Block 52 aircraft to the Iraqi Air Force during a ceremony at its Fort Worth facility recently.
Lockheed Martin is producing the F-16s under a contract from the US Department of Defense, said a statement.
The F-16s are being built in a configuration tailored to meet the specific requirements of the Iraqi Air Force, and the contract includes mission equipment and a support package provided by Lockheed Martin and other US and international contractors, it said.
Orlando Carvalho, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said: "Iraq joins 27 other nations around the world who depend on the F-16 Fighting Falcon to maintain peace and security."
More than 4,540 F-16 aircraft have been delivered to date, and production is expected to continue through 2017, with major upgrades being incorporated for all F-16 versions, said the statement. - TradeArabia News Service
