Aircraft
USAF Unveils $6.3bn F-16 Fighter Upgrade Program
A number of Air Force F-16 upgrade efforts have been launched and shelved, but now the PoBIT program is being implemented to extend the fleet’s life.
F-16s from the 53rd Wing and 96th Test Wing are seen at Eglin AFB, Florida, in July 2020. All four had been fitted with the APG-83 SABR radar for trials. (Photo: U.S. Air Force)
F-16s from the 53rd Wing and 96th Test Wing are seen at Eglin AFB, Florida, in July 2020. All four had been fitted with the APG-83 SABR radar for trials. (Photo: U.S. Air Force)

After some years of stalling over a fleet modernization effort, the U.S. Air Force will now upgrade 608 of its youngest Lockheed Martin F-16s in a massive program that will cost an estimated $6.3 billion. Managed by the Fighters and Advanced Aircraft Directorate of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, the program brings together 22 specific modifications—some of which are already under way—that address the aircraft’s lethality and aim to equip it for service until at least the late 2040s.


Loading…