US Awards Second Batch of 18 F-16 Block 52 Fighter Aircraft For Iraq

The United States Department of Defense has awarded a $830 million contract to Lockheed Martin to build the second batch of modified F-16 Block 52 fighter aircraft, including related equipment and services.

Iraq had earlier expressed interest in purchasing a second batch of 18 F-16 fighter aircraft. The total value of that contract was estimated at $2.3 billion and included:

• 18 F-16IQ aircraft
• 24 F100PW-229 or F110-GE-129 Increased Performance Engines
• 120 LAU-129/A Common Rail Launchers
• 24 APG-68(V)9 radar sets
• 19 M61 20mm Vulcan Cannons
• 100 AIM-9L/M-8/9 Sidewinder Missiles
• 150 AIM-7M-F1/H SPARROW Missiles
• 50 AGM-65D/G/H/K Maverick Air to Ground Missiles
• 200 GBU-12 PAVEWAY II Laser Guided Bomb Units (500 pound)
• 50 GBU-10 PAVEWAY II Laser Guided Bomb Units (2000 pound)
• 50 GBU-24 PAVEWAY III Laser Guided Bomb Units (2000 pound)
• 22 ALQ-211 Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suites (AIDEWS), or Advanced Countermeasures Electronic System (ACES) (ACES includes the ALQ-187 Electronic Warfare System and AN/ALR-93 Radar Warning Receiver)
• 20 AN/APX-113 Advanced Identification Friend or Foe (AIFF) Systems (without Mode IV)
• 20 Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Embedded GPS/ Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), (Standard Positioning Service (SPS) commercial code only)
• 20 AN/AAQ-33 SNIPER or AN/AAQ-28 LITENING Targeting Pods
• 4 F-9120 Advanced Airborne Reconnaissance Systems (AARS) or DB-110 Reconnaissance Pods (RECCE)
• 22 AN/ALE-47 Countermeasures Dispensing Systems (CMDS)
• 20 Conformal Fuel Tanks (pairs)
• 120 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS)
• 20 AN/ARC-238 Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio Systems
• 10000 PGU-27A/B Ammunition
• 30000 PGU-28 Ammunition
• 230 MK-84 2000 lbs General Purpose Bombs
• 800 MK-82 500 lbs General Purpose Bombs.

The order includes single-seat F-16C and dual-seat F-16D aircraft. Iraq had previously ordered a first batch of 18 aircraft in 2011. The first aircraft from the first batch are scheduled to be delivered in 2014.

Iraq will receive the last three out of six C-130J Super Hercules turboprop transport aircraft later this year. The first three were delivered to the Iraqi Air Force in December 2012. The planes were ordered in 2009 and cost about $433 million.

The aircraft are meant to rebuild the Iraqi Air Force from the ground up, which had effectively ceased to exist as a fighting force. Most of its aircraft were either shot down, destroyed on the ground or fled to Iran after the start of Desert Storm.


http://www.janes.com/products/janes/defence-security-report.aspx?ID=1065978694

By Master Sgt. Andy Dunaway [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons