Last Fort Worth-built F-16 leaves Lockheed factory

Bobby Tamplin was 26 years old in 1977, when he went to work as a parts fabricator on the F-16 fighter jet. At the time, he was told his job would last “maybe five years.” Forty years later, the 66-year-old recently stood on a windy, cold flight line at Lockheed Martin — just a few weeks before his retirement — to bid goodbye to the last F-16 to be built in Fort Worth. Max Faulkner mfaulkner@star-telegram.com

28 NOVEMBER, 2017 SOURCE: FLIGHTGLOBAL.COM BY: LEIGH GIANGRECO WASHINGTON DC

Lockheed Martin’s last F-16 produced at its Fort Worth, Texas facility rolled out the door on 14 November, marking the end of a 40-year era for the single-engined fighter.

The last Texas-made F-16 will fly with the Iraqi air force, but over the last four decades the fourth-generation fighter has flown with 28 customers around the globe, from the US Air Force and NASA, to Israel, Venezuela and Poland.

“The Fighting Falcon Nest,” as it affectionately referred to by Lockheed employees, is dwarfed by a F-35 production line that already stretches the length of several football fields.

The fifth-generation fighter line will eventually cannibalise the smaller F-16 facility, as Lockheed makes room for the F-35 production ramp up.

Lockheed will transition F-16 production to an existing facility in Greenville, South Carolina, where it’s also planning to assemble T-50 trainer jets pending the outcome of the US Air Force's T-X trainer recapitalisation contract.

The Lockheed/Korea Aerospace Industries T-50A is a close cousin to the F-16, sharing the same basic shape, flight controls and wing.

Initial activities supporting the move to South Carolina are already underway, a Lockheed spokesman says.

With several potential international sales brewing, including a $2.78 billion deal for 19 F-16Vs for Bahrain, Lockheed expects to extend F-16 production beyond 2022.

Original post: flightglobal.com

Note: As I have noted many times before the F-16V cost US$146 million per unit!  This would include training and weapons package....

Related articles:

U.S. State Department approves $3.8 billion in arms sales to Bahrain – Pentagon

Trump pursue $5 billion sale of F-16 to Bahrain

Lockheed Martin in talks with Bahrain over the sale of F-16V fighter jets

Lockheed Martin in talks with Arabian Gulf countries to sell F-16 as well as upgrades to existing fleets

Trump likely to approve F-16V fighter jet sales to Bahrain that were blocked by the Obama administration

Bahrain’s Lockheed F-16 purchase said to come with US strings

F-16C/D: Details

F-16V Fighter– Upgrade: Details