Polish plant produces first parts for the latest F-16 Viper fighters
PZL Mielec has announced the production of the first fuselage elements for the assembly of the latest F-16 Fighting Falcon Block 70/72 Viper fighter aircraft. Two airframe designs are now ready and awaiting shipment to the United States.
PZL Mielec is a company that has been manufacturing aircraft in Poland for a long time. It is worth noting that the company is owned by the American defense firm Lockheed Martin.
The Polish plant will produce the front and rear parts of the central fuselage. Both components will be delivered to Lockheed Martin’s facility in South Carolina, where the first F-16V fighter upgraded to the Block 70/72 level was unveiled a few weeks ago.
The South Carolina plant originally had a plan to produce 127 fourth-generation aircraft. However, Jordan and Bulgaria ordered 12 and 8 units, respectively. As a result, the plan was increased to 147 fighters.
Formally, the Viper modernization turns the F-16 into a Generation 4++ aircraft. It is equipped with the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-83 radar. By the way, the manufacturer recently received $128 million to develop radars for the modernization of F-16 Block 40 and Block 50 aircraft.
The Block 70/72 brings not only a new radar station. The fighter received the Link 16 communication system, which allows data exchange with fifth-generation aircraft. We also note the presence of an enhanced electronic warfare station and the F110-GE-129 engine.
