The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $199.3 million foreign military sales contract towards the purchase of 18 F-16C/D Block 52 fighters for the Iraqi air force, according to the Pentagon’s list of major contracts for July 24. This contract is the second funding installment on these 18 F-16s, following the initial $835 million contract for them last December. Lockheed Martin is on the books to supply 12 single-seat F-16Cs and six two-seat F-16Ds to the Iraqis, with deliveries scheduled to occur between May 2014 and January 2016, company spokeswoman Laura Siebert told the Daily Report. The Iraqis would like to acquire a total of 36 F-16s. To that end, the White House notified Congress late last year of the possible sale of an additional 18 F-16 Block 52 airplanes.
Pentagon officials overseeing homeland counter-drone strategy told lawmakers that even with preliminary moves to bolster U.S. base defenses, the military still lacks the capability to comprehensively identify, track, and engage hostile drones like those that breached the airspace of Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 days in December…