The U.S. Department of State has notified Congress that Singapore intends to purchase 20 new production F-16C/D aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company.

Deliveries of the new aircraft will begin in late 2003.

The new purchase includes the aircraft, support equipment, spare parts, training, mission equipment and other associated items. The total includes sales to be accrued by Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney, Northrop Grumman and other U.S. suppliers.

This program is the fourth buy of the F-16 for the Republic of Singapore Air Force. Singapore received its first F-16 under the original Peace Carvin program in 1988. Subsequent orders were made in 1994 and 1997.

"The most recent order from Singapore reaffirms customer confidence in the continued role of the F-16 as the leading multirole fighter for many years to come," said Don Jones, vice president of the F-16 program. "There is no stronger indication of customer satisfaction than repeat orders, and, recently, our customers have made very strong statements."

In the last year, Egypt, Israel and Greece have all signed contracts for repeat orders for more than 100 F-16 aircraft. The F-16 now has more than 40 repeat orders from customers in 15 countries.

The F-16, the world's most sought-after fighter, is the choice of 20 countries. More than 4,000 aircraft have been delivered; hundreds more will be delivered to Bahrain, Egypt, the United States, Israel, Greece and the United Arab Emirates; and production is expected to continue into 2010. Major upgrades for all F-16 versions are being incorporated to keep the fleet modern and fully supportable over the aircraft's long service life.

The F-16 is playing a major role as the durable and versatile "workhorse" in allied peacekeeping operations in the Balkans and Iraq.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company is a leader in the design, development, systems integration, production and support of advanced military aircraft and related technologies. Its customers include the military services of the United States and allied countries throughout the world. Products include the F-16, F-22, C-130J, F-117, U-2, X-33 and Joint Strike Fighter, among other renowned aircraft. LM Aeronautics is a unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation . Lockheed Martin is headquartered in Bethesda, Md., and is a global enterprise principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced-technology systems, products and services. The corporation's core businesses are systems integration, space, aeronautics and technology services.

F-16 is a registered trademark of Lockheed Martin Corporation.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company