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.
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.