Não admira que a procura do upgrade aumente. Quando o caça "milagroso" F35 nunca mais passa ao activo e ainda está bem longe de estar sem problemas....
Até eu já tinha dito noutro post, venha o upgrade V e lá pra depois de 2025/30 pode ser que o F35 já esteja mais maduro (e funcional).
:-P
Consider where F-16s have been selling lately. Potential purchasers of the plane include not just India itself, but also its neighbor Pakistan. Shift your gaze 2,100 miles to the west, and Bahrain, too, just placed a $1.1 billion order for 16 ultra-modern F-16V Block 70 Falcons -- part of an earlier-negotiated deal that could eventually grow to $3.8 billion in value. Even farther west, Greece, too, is interested in ordering upgrades for its fleet of 85 older F-16s, and Slovakia wants to buy 14 jets of the new F-16V configuration -- for $2.9 billion
Não é só a procura de upgrade. Já são dois lotes de novos F16V encomendados, tanto dos Eslovacos com do Bahrain, isto além do Upgrade de 85 aparelhos gregos (o que ainda me faz estranhar mais a opção F35, visto que vão ficar muitos operadores de F16 na própria nato). ??? ???
Taiwan’s updated F-16V Viper fighter jet begins flight test program
Aug 28, 2018 in Aviation, News
The first updated F-16V F-16V Viper (onboard number “6626”) fighter jet made its first flight and inaugurating an intensive flight trials campaign. According to theHccapa.com, in Taichung was started series flight tests of the first Lockheed Martin F-16A fighter jet of the Republic of China, which was modernized by the Taiwanese state-owned Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) in the version of F-16V Viper.
The flight trials campaign is carried out by American test pilots of Lockheed Martin Corporation, said in Taiwan media reports. The full upgrade program is supposed to wrap up some time between 2022 and 2023. The first four F-16A/B fighters of the Taiwan Air Force entered the AIDC facility in Taichung in January 2017, these aircraft are being modernized as experienced and must undergo an extensive flight trials campaign. The most advanced version of the F-16 fighter fleet, the V class would give Taiwan a bolstered ability to defend its territory.
It is assumed that AIDC will modernize 24 fighters per year, and the deadline for the completion of work is now considered to be 2023. The total cost of the modernization program is estimated at $ 5.3 billion. TheAir Forces Monthly reported that the upgraded F-16V introduces AN/APG-83 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, new mission computer and F-16C/D landing gear. The AN/APG-83 can simultaneously perform a search, tracking, and lock-on functions. For multiple targets, the detection range is increased by more than 30% compared with the original APG-66(V)3 radar. Overall battlefield detection capability is reportedly increased by 220%, and self-protection capability by 180%.
https://defence-blog.com/aviation/taiwans-updated-f-16v-viper-fighter-jet-begins-flight-test-program.html
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on 23 July vetoed legislation approving the procurement of eight F-16 Block 70 fighters. Parliament approved the USD1.23 billion deal on 19 July, following Defence Minister Krasimir Karakachanov’s signature of a package of agreements related to the F-16 purchase on 11 July.
The reasons given by Radev for the veto include a lack of public and political consensus for the deal in Bulgaria, a lack of accurate information on the clauses of the agreements, the high price compared to the USD850 million budget originally approved, and serious cuts in the weapons package and services included in the deal.
Bulgaria's National Assembly on 26 July overturned President Rumen Radev's 23 July veto of legislation approving procurement of eight F-16 Block 70 fighters, the parliament has announced on its website. Members of parliament voted 128 to 73, with three abstentions, again to ratify contracts on the purchase of equipment, maintenance and services for eight F-16 Block 70 fighters.
The four agreements for the USD1.226 billion deal signed by Defence Minister Krasimir Karakachanov on 11 July were first approved by the National Assembly on 19 July.
CitarBulgaria's National Assembly on 26 July overturned President Rumen Radev's 23 July veto of legislation approving procurement of eight F-16 Block 70 fighters, the parliament has announced on its website. Members of parliament voted 128 to 73, with three abstentions, again to ratify contracts on the purchase of equipment, maintenance and services for eight F-16 Block 70 fighters.
The four agreements for the USD1.226 billion deal signed by Defence Minister Krasimir Karakachanov on 11 July were first approved by the National Assembly on 19 July.
Esta animado este processo de compra dos Búlgaros. ;D
Despite recent news reports to the contrary, F-16 sales to Taiwan are not a done deal for the Trump administration, according to an adviser on Chinese issues to US President Donald Trump.
Trump has not yet approved any F-16 sales to Taiwan, Michael Pillsbury, Trump adviser and senior fellow and director for Chinese Strategy at the Washington think tank Hudson Institute said on 25 July during a panel discussion at the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security.
"The sale of F-16s to Taiwan, I think, has not gone through," said Pillsbury, who was part of the Trump administration's transition team.
"Ese mismo se anunció la modernizatíon a la versíon V de 84 F-16 griegos por 997 millones de dólares."Os Gregos vão fazer a modernização dos block 50/52 para Viper. Aos Block 30 eles não fazem , porque será?
E aqui os infelizes não fazem o upgrade a uns miseros 28.
Façam as contas, sai a 11.4 milhões de $ por avião, ou seja aqui seriam 319.2 milhões de $ ou seja 288 milhões de €.
Enfim....
>:(
A Força Aérea dos Estados Unidos está considerando seriamente a encomenda de mais caças F-16, mais de 42 anos após a Força ter recebido seu primeiro “Fighting Falcon”. A USAF, que uma vez jurou que nunca mais compraria um caça não furtivo novamente, parece ter mudado de ideia. O custo extremo de caças furtivos como o F-35 provavelmente tem algo a ver com isso.
A frota de F-16 da USAF deveria originalmente ser substituída pelo F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, e a Força nunca pretendeu comprar um caça não furtivo novamente. Infelizmente, o custo do F-35A de US$ 110 milhões por avião, embora diminua gradualmente, ainda está longe dos US$ 50 milhões originalmente prometidos.
Além disso, como a Força Aérea compra esses novos F-35s, também deve pagar para voá-los – e isso não é barato. Cada F-35 custa impressionantes US$ 44.000 por hora para voar. Isso se traduz em um investimento de US$ 44 milhões para cada 1.000 horas de voo, ou pouco menos de um terço do custo do avião em si.
O F-35 deveria ser o F-16 de seu tempo, mas parece que o F-16 poderá mais uma vez repetir seu papel como um caça de baixo custo – mais de 40 anos depois de entrar em serviço.
F-16V em configuração de defesa aérea
Lockheed Martin, Owego, New York, has been awarded a $64,266,809 supply contract for F-16 Foreign Military Sales (FMS) mission planning. This contract provides for the development, integration, test and delivery of the Joint Mission Planning System Unique Planning Component/Mission Planning Environment software updates. Work will be performed in Owego, New York, and is expected to be completed by January 2029. This contract involves FMS to Slovakia, Bulgaria, Taiwan, Morocco, Greece, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Slovenia and Thailand. This award is the result of a directed-source acquisition. FMS funds in the amount of $17,172,548 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (FA8730-21-C-0001).