Lockheed Martin on Nov. 22 received three contracts worth almost $60 million for upgrades and modifications to Moroccan, Taiwanese, and Singaporean F-16s. The company received a $16.3 million modification to a previously awarded contract to upgrade F-16s for Morocco, with work expected to last until June 2019, according to a Pentagon announcement. Lockheed also received a $12.3 million modification to a previously awarded contract to provide equipment to sustain 144 Taiwanese F-16s, along with familiarization training on ground software for maintenance. The contract lasts until May 2022, according to the announcement. The third contract is for a $27 million modification to upgrade F-16s for Singapore, with work expect to last until June 2023.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…

