Article Posted on : - Mar 04, 2010

F-16 Fighting Falcon. A Lockheed Martin Photo.

WASHINGTON (BNS): Lockheed Martin has been awarded an initial $213 million by the US government for the production of 20 new Advanced Block 52 F-16 aircraft for Egypt.

According to a news release by the Lockheed Martin, the new aircraft order includes 16 F-16Cs and 4 F-16Ds, and will supplement the Egyptian Air Force's (EAF) existing fleet of F-16s and contribute to the modernisation of the EAF.

"This is a great day for Lockheed Martin. The aircraft we will deliver to Egypt will join the fleet of more than 4,400 F-16s representing 25 nations," said John Larson, vice president, Lockheed Martin F-16 programmes.

Egypt was the first Arab country to purchaseF-16s through a Foreign Military Sales programme called Peace Vector. The EAF received a total of 42 F-16 fighters in its first order in the year 1980 and since then has purchased five more lots of aircraft, for a total of 240 F-16 Fighting Falcons, according to the report.

The final Egyptian F-16 fighter aircraft under this defence contract will be delivered in 2013.