Lockheed Martin has received a $1.2 billion contract to provide upgrades on the Republic of Korea Air Force’s fleet of F-16s. The company will upgrade 134 South Korean fighters based on the F-16V configuration, commonly known as Vipers. New systems will include the advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and an off-the-shelf avionics suite, as well as an improved pedestal display and data bus. The agreement is a foreign military sales contract originated by the Air Force, and work is scheduled to be completed by 2025.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
