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| The first of twenty Block 52 F-16s for Egypt completed its first flight on 6 April 2012 from NAS Fort Worth JRB. Called Peace Vector VII, the latest purchase of F-16s by Egypt includes sixteen single-seat and four two-seat versions. Deliveries will begin later this year. |
So Lockheed Martin can't be blamed for this sale of advanced fighters to Egypt...but the State Dept can.
Why would they sell these advanced jets to Egypt when the Muslim Brotherhood is about to take over?
When they held US Aid workers prisoner?
When we really don't know the future of that country. This one is a mystery.
Why not?
ReplyDeleteIf its the block 52 rather than 60, its not got APG-80
Israel is on course to have an F35 squadron by 2017, and that could easily move closer as other international orders are delayed, lets face it, Europe isnt spending at the moment.
Even if Egypt does become activly hostile to US interests, are 20 F16s going to make a difference?
are you sure about that? the USAF flies block 52 and new builds of that plane have AESA.
ReplyDeleteNew builds of 52 do not "come" with AESA but there is a program to upgrade them with it. Here is what they come with and a link to the DSCA 2009 announcement:
ReplyDelete•24 F-16C/D Block 50/52 Aircraft installed with either the F100-PW-229 or F110-GE-129 Increased Performance Engines (IPE) and APG-68(V)9 radars
•6 F100-PW-229 or F110-GE-129 IPE spare engines
•6 APG-68(V)9 spare radar sets
•60 LAU-129/A Common Rail Launchers;
•28 AN/APX-113 Advanced Identification Friend or Foe (AIFF) Systems without Mode IV
•28 M61 20mm Vulcan Cannons
•28 AN/ALQ-211 Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Systems (AIDEWS); or Advanced Countermeasures Electronic Systems (ACES) which includes the AN/ALQ-187 Electronic Warfare System and the AN/ALR-93 Radar Warning Receiver
•28 AN/ARC-238 Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGAR) radios without HAVE QUICK I/II
•4 F-9120 Advanced Airborne Reconnaissance Systems or DB-110 Reconnaissance Pods
•28 Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Embedded GPS/Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) with Standard Positioning Service commercial code only
•12 AN/AAQ-33 SNIPER Advanced Targeting Pods or AN/AAQ-28LITENING Targeting Pods
•24 pairs of Conformal Fuel Tanks
•28 AN/ALE-47 Countermeasures Dispensing Systems
http://www.dsca.mil/pressreleases/36-b/2009/Egypt_%2009-34.pdf