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| An F-16 Fighting Falcon (File Photo) |
South Korea's government Wednesday picked U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin as the new contractor for its project to renovate the aviation electronic systems of KF-16 fighters that has sat dormant for months due to demands for a cost hike by a previous partner.
Under the $1.58 billion program, the Maryland-based company will exchange and upgrade the radar, armament and other integrated electronic systems of 134 KF-16s currently operated by South Korea’s Air Force.
During a defense acquisition meeting presided over by Defense Minister Han Min-koo, Seoul also replaced the provider of active electronically scanned array radars to be equipped in the warplanes from Raytheon to Northrop Grumman, headquartered in Massachusetts and Virginia, respectively.
“Lockheed Martin makes the F-16 platform and thus has much know-how and competence on how to embody the aircraft’s capabilities,” Defense Acquisition Program Administration spokesperson Kim Si-cheol said at a news conference.
“After the upgrade, the KF-16s will be capable of carrying out network-centric warfare and operating cutting-edge weapons systems as the Air Force’s main fighter jet.”
Read the full story at Air Recognition