Lockheed Martin To Upgrade S Korea's F-16s To 'V' Configuration With AESA Radar

Lockheed Martin has won a $1.2 billion contract to upgrade 134 F-16 aircraft to V configuration with Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF).

The enhancements also include modern commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)-based avionics subsystem, a large-format, high-resolution center pedestal display and a high-volume and high-speed data bus.

"These upgrades are a critical piece of South Korea's national defense and highlight Lockheed Martin's commitment to the full lifecycle of the F-16, from production to through-life sustainment." said Susan Ouzts, vice president of Lockheed Martin's F-16 program.

The contract for the ROKAF upgrade is a foreign military sales contract issued by the US Air Force.

As Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and design authority of the F-16, Lockheed Martin is uniquely qualified to design, engineer, develop, integrate and sustain a complete F-16 weapons system solution tailored to customer requirements.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon is the successful, combat-proven multi-role fighter with more than 4,570 F-16s delivered. The F-16 currently serves as the workhorse of the fighter fleet for 25 nations around the world.