Lockheed Martin receives first F-16 for depot sustainment

Lockheed Martin has received its first F-16 from the U.S. Air Force as part of the $900 million indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract the company received in December 2020 to provide sustainment support and depot-overflow services for F-16 aircraft.

The F-16 arrived at the Lockheed Martin facility in Greenville, South Carolina, from Edwards Air Force Base, California.

“The arrival of this first jet marks the beginning of fighter sustainment work at the site and positions Greenville as an F-16 Center of Excellence, supporting both F-16 production and sustainment operations,” said Mike Fox, Lockheed Martin Greenville site director.

The IDIQ contract also establishes the first ever U.S.-based F-16 industry depot to support government-owned depot facilities and includes depot-level maintenance activities, predefined programmatic work, aircraft modification, and unplanned drop-in maintenance.

“We are excited for this opportunity to expand our partnership with the U.S. Air Force and ensure the continued readiness and capability of the F-16 fleet,” says Danya Trent, vice president of Lockheed Martin F-16 Program. “Our team of F-16 experts in Greenville are ready and prepared to meet our customer’s most challenging problems, partnering between Production and Sustainment operations, giving full life cycle coverage for the F-16.”

Lockheed Martin is the F-16 Fighting Falcon’s original equipment manufacturer.

To date, a total of 4,588 F-16s have been produced and are currently operated by 25 countries.