The U.S. Defense Department has notified Congress that it had approved the sale to Singapore of upgrades for 60 F-16 fighter jets, setting off a potential competition for an order valued at $2.43 billion.
The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency, or DSCA, said Singapore had requested an upgrade of 60 aging F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp to improve their reliability and effectiveness in combat.
Lockheed, which built the original F-16s, and BAE Systems, a key supplier and subcontractor, are increasingly focused on capturing upgrade orders given reductions in U.S. and European military spending.
In its notification to Congress, DSCA did not name a prime contractor for the Singapore F-16 upgrades. Officials at the agency had no immediate comment on whether there would be an open competition or a sole source award.
Officials at the Singapore embassy were not immediately available to comment on the issue.
Lockheed said it hoped to win the order. “Lockheed Martin has partnered with Singapore on the F-16 program for more than 25 years and we look forward to continuing to support them in the future,” said spokesman Michael Rein.
But BAE is pressing for an open competition, arguing that it can carry out upgrades to existing F-16s for less cost.
Last year, BAE finalized a deal worth over $1 billion to upgrade over 130 South Korean F-16 fighters, and the company is seeking additional orders in Europe and Asia.
“We want to be considered as a competitor for Singapore’s F-16 upgrade program and look forward to further discussions with them to support and deliver F-16 upgrade solutions tailored to their requirements,” said BAE spokesman Neil Franz.
“Our team is very interested in this pursuit and would like to see an open competition,” he said, noting that BAE provides about 40 percent of the mission equipment for current F-16s.
In June, the U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command (USASOAC) awarded Boeing a USD 115 million contract to produce two…
Qatar Airways Cargo has introduced the "My Allotments” feature on its website within the Digital Lounge portal, enhancing efficiency and…
The Australian Government has revealed the first MQ-4C Triton Remotely Piloted Aircraft System, known as ‘AUS 1’, set to be…
Orbit Communication Systems Ltd. and Viasat Inc. have announced a collaboration to develop advanced airborne satellite communication (SATCOM) Multi-Purpose Terminals…
Boeing has announced the election of Robert K. "Kelly" Ortberg as its new president and chief executive officer, effective 8…
Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN), a joint venture between Fincantieri (51%) and Leonardo (49%), has secured a contract worth approximately EUR…
VAS Aero Services has announced the acquisition of an additional 17 Airbus A320 airframes for teardown and Used Serviceable Material…
Teleport, the logistics arm of Capital A Berhad, has become the first logistics provider in Southeast Asia to implement Wiremind’s…
Batik Air (flight code ID) is set to introduce a new international flight route connecting Pekanbaru, Indonesia to Kuala Lumpur,…
HENSOLDT, a specialist in sensor technology, has been awarded a substantial contract by Rheinmetall Air Defence to supply SPEXER air…
Air Astana Group, the leading airline conglomerate in Central Asia and the Caucasus, has signed an agreement with Air Lease…
The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) has dispatched one of its senior officers to Italy to oversee the delivery of its…
Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) announced on Monday (Jul. 29) that Malaysia Airlines and Firefly have successfully achieved registration in the…
Croatia’s flag carrier and a member of Star Alliance, Croatia Airlines, has taken delivery of its first A220-300 aircraft at…
SITA is set to install advanced passenger verification and check-in solutions at Shanghai Pudong International Airport to significantly improve the…
Indra has launched an advanced laboratory to develop the Maestre mission system for integration into the Spanish Army's 8x8 Dragon…
Ecojet, the world's first electric, commercial airline, has signed an agreement to purchase 22 ZA2000 hydrogen-electric engines from ZeroAvia, with…
Vertical Aerospace has seen its latest VX4 prototype perform its first tethered piloted flight as it begins the “wheels up”…
As many as 260 firm commercial aircraft orders and £81.5bn worth of deals were struck on the first four days…
The first mission-ready F-16 pilots to graduate from the European F-16 Training Center (EFTC) in Romania were honoured today. This…
The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has awarded Airbus Helicopters a contract to lead a concept study as part…
Turkish Technic, a global maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) company, has recently signed a Component Support Agreement with Citilink, a…
Following its firm order of 20 A330neo aircraft at the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow, Vietjet has entered into significant agreements…
NASA Langley Research Center has awarded a contract to Terma to improve the data management and operational efficiency of its…
With the advanced air mobility (AAM) industry on the verge of take-off, there has been a concerted effort by companies…
Magellan Aerospace Corporation (Magellan) has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Farnborough Airshow with the Indian firm, Aequs…
ZeroAvia and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will work towards a demonstration flight using ZeroAvia’s ZA2000 zero-emission, hydrogen-electric engines for large…
Pratt & Whitney has received more than 950 GTF engine orders and commitments since the beginning of the year. Airlines…
Triumph's Thermal Systems Division has been awarded a long-term-program contract to design, manufacture and support the precooler system for the…
Pratt & Whitney and OGMA Indústria Aeronáutica de Portugal , an Embraer company, have announced the induction of the first…
Headquartered in Singapore with reporters spread across all major regions, GBP Aerospace & Defence is a leading media house that publishes three publications that serve the aerospace and defence sector - Asian Defence Technology, Asian Airlines & Aerospace and Daily News. Known industry-wide for quality journalism, GBP Aerospace & Defence is present at more international tradeshows and exhibitions than any other competing publication in the region.
For over three decades, our award-winning team of reporters has been producing top-notch content to help readers stay abreast of the latest developements in the field of commercial aviation, MRO, defence, and Space.
Copyright 2024. GBP. All Rights Reserved.
Home Defence & Security Space Commercial Aviation Maintence Repair & Overhaul Daily News Events About Us
2024 GBP all rights reserved.