Lockheed Martin unveils F-16 for Pakistan

The first of 18 new F-16 aircraft for the Pakistan air force was unveiled Oct. 13 at a ceremony at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Fort Worth.

The lot of aircraft is named “Peace Drive I,” part of Lockheed Martin’s tradition of naming F-16 international sales programs with the word “peace.” Pakistan, represented by various officials at the ceremony, has ordered a total of 54 F-16s since 1982 and first operated Lockheed Martin aircraft in 1963 when it received C-130B airlifters.

Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Norton Schwartz was on hand to represent the United States, and Air Chief Marshal Rao Quamar Suleman, chief of the air staff for the Pakistan Air Force, accepted the first F-16 Block 52 aircraft on behalf of his nation. Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, and other officials were also present in Fort Worth. The Peace Drive I order includes 12 F-16Cs and six F-16Ds. The first aircraft, a two-seater F-16D, will be delivered to the U.S. government, acting as an agent for Pakistan in the foreign military sales process, in December. The remaining aircraft will be delivered in 2010.

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on Oct 14 2009. Filed under Headlines, Local. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry