The U.S. government awarded a $635 million Fixed Price Incentive contract to Lockheed Martin on Dec. 22 to upgrade the Turkish Air Force's existing fleet of F- 16s.

Under the terms of the contract, Lockheed Martin will provide 216 modernization kits to upgrade Turkish F-16C and F-16D model aircraft in the nation's air force inventory. The effort also includes flight testing, training, technical support and sustainment activities.

This contract continues work started under an initial contract in July 2005, based on an agreement signed between the governments of Turkey and the United States in April 2005.

The work and support of the modernization program will occur primarily at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics facility in Fort Worth, Texas, and at Tusas Aerospace Industries in Ankara, Turkey, with the contract running through February 2016.

"Our company and employees take great pride in producing and sustaining the F-16," said John Larson, Lockheed Martin vice president and deputy of F-16 programs. "We are committed to meeting the needs of our customers and we value the confidence that Turkey has in our company to modernize their existing fleet of aircraft."

Turkey's F-16s are part of the fleet of thousands of F-16 aircraft worldwide, representing 24 countries. Lockheed Martin has the capability to provide upgrades and modernization to its international customers to keep the aircraft mission ready and fully supportable over their long service life.

"We are delighted to provide these upgrades for Turkey's F-16s," said Willy Moore, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics vice president for Global Sustainment. "This is another great day for our customer and the F-16 program. As the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of the F-16, our role is to provide our customers with an affordable solution to modernize their existing fleet. We have the proven experience to offer exceptional operational capability for not only the F-16, but all the aircraft we manufacture."

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2005 sales of $37.2 billion.

             For additional information, visit our Web site:
                      http://www.lockheedmartin.com/

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

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company