The Pentagon has notified Congress of a potential foreign military sale of 18 F-16s to Oman. Under a deal with an estimated total value of $3.5 billion, Oman would acquire new-build F-16 Block 50/52 aircraft and associated parts, training, and logistical support, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency’s Aug. 3 announcement. Among the equipment on these F-16s would be AN/APG-68(V)9 radars, joint helmet mounted cueing systems, and Sniper or “similarly capable” targeting pods, said DSCA officials. “The proposed sale will provide a significant increase in the Royal Air Force of Oman’s capability to train with US and coalition forces and augment coalition forces in a regional conflict,” they wrote. Oman currently has 12 F-16s in its inventory. In June, the US Air Force began deliveries of new F-16s to Pakistan under a separate FMS arrangement.
President Donald Trump is proposing a 13 percent increase in defense spending for fiscal 2026, growth that could mean the first ever $1 trillion defense budget, according to a document obtained by Air & Space Forces Magazine.