A Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) spokesman said his agency is scheduling a top decision-making council Nov. 19 to approve a plan to change the KF-16 partner company, following cancellation of a $1.7 billion BAE Systems contract to give 134 KF-16 fighters new avionics and radar systems.
A pair of KF-16 C/D Block 52 jets has already been sent to a BAE factory in Fort Worth, Texas, to be equipped with an up-to-date mission computer, cockpit-display and other avionics systems. Phase 2 of the upgrades would have involved the integration of the Raytheon active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars, ALR-69A all-digital radar warning receiver and weapon systems integration.
A new Lockheed contract would likely fill similar needs, but may swap out Raytheon’s AESA for Northrop Grumman’s model. Lockheed selected Northrop to provide radars on its contract to upgrade Taiwan’s F-16 fleet.
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