Turquia compra F16 aos EUA.
Sept 29/08: The US DSCA announces [PDF] Turkey’s official request to buy 30 AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Extended Range Targeting Pods, and 30 AN/AAQ-13 LANTIRN Extended Range Navigation Pods. Turkey would also receive containers, flight tests, integration, digital cartridge interface, spare and repair parts, and other forms of support.
While the pods were not mentioned in the original DSCA request, the numbers strongly suggest a connection with the new F-16s. The estimated cost is $200 million, and Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control Company in Orlando, FL will be the prime contractor. While Turkey is a Muslim country, its defense forces are regular customers for Israeli equipment; unlike Pakistan or Saudi Arabia, therefore, RAFAEL/Northrop Grumman’s LITENING surveillance and targeting pods would have been a competitive possibility.
Implementation of this proposed sale may require the assignment of U.S. Government and contractor representatives to Turkey for integration efforts, and the purchase will require U.S. government and contractor personnel for conduct annual, one-week Program Management Reviews in Turkey.
Feb 29/08: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics of Fort Worth, TX received a contract for $6.2 million as part of Turkey’s buy of 30 F-16 aircraft. This is a foreign military sales procurement to incorporate items included in the May 2007 Letter of Offer and Acceptance’s (LOA) amendment 1. At this time $4.7 million has been obligated. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH issued the contract (FA8615-07-C-6043 P00003).
Dec 7/07: Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., of Linthicum Heights, MD received an indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity and firm-fixed price contract for $730 million covering up to 514 AN/APG-68v9 radar systems. These radars are standard in F-16 C/D aircraft.
The first delivery order under the contract covers 30 radar systems for the government of Turkey, which will be accomplished under the firm fixed price portion of the contract and obligate $36 million. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH holds the contract (FA8615-08-D-6035, D001).
July 27/07: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. in Fort Worth, TX received a firm-fixed-price contract for $186.9 million “for the purchase of thirty (30) F-16 Block 50 aircraft, along with associated support equipment, alternative mission equipment, and support elements for the Government of Turkey’s Under Secretarial for Defense Industries for the Peace Onyx IV F-16 Block 50 Aircraft Procurement Program.” This effort supports foreign military sales to Turkey. At this time, $110.1 million has been obligated.
Discussions with Lockheed reveal that the DefenseLINK wording is misleading. The contract covers only long-lead items, parts/equipment that require a longer time to acquire; the rest of the contracts will be finalized over the next 12-18 month under the arrangements set out in the May 2007 LOA. Solicitations began April 2007, negotiations were completed in July 2007, and work will be complete January 2009. The Headquarters Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH issued the contract (FA8615-07-C-6034). See also Lockheed Martin’s subsequent release.
May 11/07: Lockheed Martin announces that the governments of Turkey and the United States have signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) for the sale of 30 additional F-16 Block 50 aircraft to Turkey. The new aircraft include the same systems being installed on Turkey’s existing F-16 fleet as part of an on-going upgrade program. At the conclusion of these two programs, therefore, all Turkish F-16s will be in a common, advanced configuration.
The total LOA value for the 30 aircraft and equipment is approximately $1.8 billion; Lockheed Martin and its supplier base will receive approximately $1.1 billion of this amount. Final assembly and delivery of the aircraft will be performed at TUSAS Aerospace Industries (TAI) in Turkey, furthering the longstanding business relationship between Lockheed Martin and TAI. Lockheed Martin release.
Sept 28/06: The DSCA notifies Congress that the Government of Turkey has requested new F-16s, along with system integration and testing, software development/integration, test sets and support equipment, simulation units, link pods, spare and repair parts, publications and technical data, maintenance, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor representatives’ program support services, contractor engineering and technical support services, and other related elements of logistics support.
Requested items include:
30 Lockheed Martin Advanced F-16C Block 50 Aircraft;
32 Northrop Grumman AN/APG-68(V)9 Radars;
42 General Electric F110-129 Engines;
60 LAU-129A Launchers – these will handle both AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles;
36 VSI Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System that puts the heads-up display right in the pilot’s helmet;
36 MIDS-LVT Link 16 terminals;
3 Link-16 Ground Stations; and
35 of BAE Systems AN/APX-113 Advanced Identification Friend or Foe (AIFF);
36 of ITT Industries’ AN/ALQ-211 Airborne Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suites or BAE Systems’ AN/ALQ-178 Self Protection Electronic Warfare Suites.