Including a “postponed” buy of 80 to Pakistan and 40 for Greece (the Greeks are rethinking their decision), Lockheed sees a firm future market for about 200 new F-16s—possibly many more. Working off the existing backlog will keep the line running at about 72 a year for two more years. At that point, the company plans to shrink to a steady 24 per year for as long as customers want them. Since dibs on most to-be-produced F-35 Joint Strike Fighters are set through the late 2010s, the F-16 could continue to sell for years to come. Besides that, more than 3,000 F-16s are in use worldwide today, and Lockheed expects a “healthy and viable” market for parts, overhauls, and upgrades for a long time. The F-16s now being delivered are expected to be in service another 25 years at least.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
