Air Force Holding Off Developing New F-16 Replacement For Now
Emma Helfrich - Wednesday
U.S. Air Force officials have confirmed that a portion of the branch’s F-16 Viper fighter jet fleet will remain in service for the foreseeable future. While attempts to nail down the aircraft’s retirement timeline and potential replacement have been going on for some time now, it would appear that the Air Force is prioritizing the modernization efforts that will keep F-16s in the air for years, if not decades, before deciding on what will come next.
Air Force Holding Off Developing New F-16 Replacement For Now
According to an article by Air Force Magazine's John Tirpak, a recent press conference held during the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s (AFLCMC) Life Cycle Industry Days event provided a number of Air Force officials with the chance to discuss the F-16s’ fate. The general consensus throughout the briefing was that the Air Force isn’t in any rush to replace the decades-old Viper family much less finalize what that replacement might be just yet. For now, the service is planning to move forward with the extensive upgrades and modernization efforts that have maintained the F-16’s status as a “numbers-builder in the combat air forces,” the article explained.
To some, this may come as a surprise considering its direct contradiction with the Air Force’s seemingly staunch plan to buy 1,763 F-35A fighters in hopes of eventually using them, in part, to replace the F-16. While it does seem to conflict with that plan in some capacity, the Air Force in March said it isn't backing away from its F-35A acquisition plans. However, the service’s recent comments still call into question whether the Air Force will ultimately pursue its stated procurement goal for the F-35A program of record as it keeps insisting it will.
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