F-16V sale to Jordan passes muster with State Department
An F-16 operated by the Royal Jordanian Air Force takes off for a mission. (Photo: USAF/Staff Sgt Tyler McLain)
Jordan has requested 16 F-16s upgraded to the Block 70 (F-16V) configuration plus a plethora of associated subsystems and weapons, training services and logistical support in an FMS package worth more than $4 billion.
The US State Department on 3 February approved a potential $4.21 billion FMS deal to sell modernised F-16C/D fighter aircraft to the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF), with Lockheed Martin named as prime contractor.
Jordan has requested 12 F-16Cs and four F-16Ds upgraded to the Block 70 (F-16V) configuration plus a plethora of associated subsystems and weapons, training services and logistical support.
Examples include General Electric F100-GE-129D or Pratt & Whitney F100-PW229EEP engines (one for each aircraft plus five spares); Northrop Grumman AN/APG-83 AESA Scalable Agile Beam Radar systems; Lockheed Martin AN/AAQ-33 Sniper advanced targeting pods; and Link 16 low-volume terminals for aircraft and ground stations.
Other aspects of the proposed FMS include 72 LAU-129 launchers for AIM-9 and AIM-120 air-to-air missiles; 21 M61A1 Vulcan cannons; 402 FMU-139 or FMU-152 joint programmable fuzes; MK-82, MK-84, BLU-111 or BLU-117 inert bombs; and guidance kits for JDAM smart bombs such as the GBU-10, GBU-31, GBU-54 and Enhanced Paveway II.
Shephard Defence Insight notes that Jordan took delivery of a total of 79 F-16A/B fighter jets between 1997 and 2017 through the Peace Falcon I-VI programmes. A total of 47 of these aircraft will remain in service until 2025-2027.
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