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 KC-Z4, a blended wing body tanker concept being developed by startup JetZero, could fuel larger groups of aircraft at longer range to hold more targets at risk, company officials say.