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F-16 platform strengthens nationwide protection, deepens NATO and allied breeze integration
GREENVILLE, S.C., Dec. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has finished manufacturing of all F‑16 Prevent 70 plane for Bulgaria and Slovakia’s preliminary fleets, equipping each breeze forces with complicated F-16s in a position for NATO and allied operations.
The plane had been produced at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Greenville, South Carolina, and finished DD250 ultimate acceptance in the course of the U.S. govt’s Overseas Army Gross sales program.
A prior F-16 Prevent 70 for Bulgaria ferry from Greenville, S.C.
Slovakia is the primary Ecu nation for the F-16 Prevent 70, an ability that strengthens its skill to stick forward of regional warnings and help allied missions.
Why it issues
Complete F-16 Prevent 70 fleets give Bulgaria and Slovakia the aptitude to serve nationwide breeze protection and help NATO breeze policing with a contemporary, totally interoperable fighter. The plane attach without delay to NATO methods and help the similar challenge units already flown via F-16 operators throughout Europe.
Those plane are integral to each international locations’ protection modernization plans and align their breeze forces with the educational, requirements and operational practices impaired via 29 allied operators. That ordinary framework improves readiness, strengthens the alliance’s posture and will increase the selection of interoperable plane to be had for NATO missions.
Knowledgeable views
Mike Shoemaker, vp and basic supervisor of Lockheed Martin’s Built-in Fighter Team:
“This milestone represents the talent and dedication of the joint government, military and industry teams. With full F‑16 Block 70 fleets now produced, both nations move from planning for next‑generation airpower to demonstrating it in daily operations. This progress enhances NATO’s collective readiness and provides commanders with reliable, interoperable 21st Century Security capability across the alliance.”
Complex capacity, confirmed platform
The F‑16 Prevent 70 options the APG‑83 AESA radar, which stocks 95% instrument commonality and 70% {hardware} commonality with the F‑35 radar. The plane additionally contains conformal gasoline tanks, a contemporary virtual cockpit, a 12,000‑era provider era and the era‑preserve Computerized Field Accident Avoidance Machine (Auto GCAS).
Those methods help the overall field of breeze policing, breeze protection and joint workout missions flown via F-16 operators throughout Europe. With greater than 700 F-16s in Europe and a world sustainment community already in park, Bulgaria and Slovakia achieve get admission to to established coaching pipelines, confirmed logistics help and a wide nation of operators that support safeguard top availability and environment friendly long-term upkeep.
Transatlantic business partnership
The F‑16 program is powered via a world provide chain of greater than 530 providers throughout 12 international locations, together with a robust community of Ecu companions. Firms equivalent to LOTN in Slovakia and Avionams in Bulgaria give a contribution to this ecosystem and mirror Europe’s rising position within the collaborative business bottom that helps NATO readiness.
With ultimate meeting and alternative detail production taking park at Lockheed Martin’s Greenville, S.C. facility – the sector’s most effective energetic F-16 manufacturing sequence – this system helps over 1,500 professional jobs and preserves strategic fighter manufacturing capability in america.
The F-16 program reinforces transatlantic business cooperation maintaining complicated U.S. production capacity past producing financial worth, provide chain alternative and lengthy‑word business participation throughout Europe. By means of sustaining business bottom cooperation, the F-16 program promotes resilience, helps shared safety targets, and is helping allied international locations preserve trendy, interoperable fighter features.
About Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is a world protection generation corporate using innovation and advancing medical discovery. Our all-domain challenge answers and twenty first Century Safety® perceptible boost up the supply of transformative applied sciences to safeguard the ones we handover all the time keep forward of in a position. Additional info at www.Lockheedmartin.com.
SOURCE Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
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