The Air Force’s $199.3 million foreign military sales contract to Lockheed Martin on July 24 was the second installment on the Iraqi air force’s first batch of 18 F-16 Block 52 fighters. The contract was not for the second group of 18 F-16s that the Iraqis would like to acquire to bring their Fighting Falcon fleet size to 36, as we reported in the July 25 column. Last December, the Air Force let the initial $835 million contract for the Iraqis’ initial 18 F-16s—12 F-16Cs and six two-seat F-16Ds. Deliveries of this batch are scheduled to take place between May 2014 and January 2016, Lockheed Martin spokeswoman Laura Siebert told the Daily Report. The White House notified Congress earlier this year of the possible sale of the additional 18 F-16s. Discussions between the US and Iraqi governments are ongoing for that follow-on purchase, said Siebert. We have corrected our original entry.
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.