The U.S. State Department approved the sale of upgrades to the F-16 fighter planes of Romania's air force, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced.

The $175.5 million deal, with Lockheed Martin as its principal contractor, is expected to be approved by the U.S. Senate, the agency said Tuesday in a press release.

The deal includes itemized upgrades to the avionics, software, communication equipment, navigational aids, and cockpit of the F-16AMs in the Romanian Air Force.

Among the specific upgrades are Global Positioning Systems, Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio Systems, Advanced Identification Friend or Foe systems and cryptography equipment, DSCA said.

Romania, a NATO member since 2004, has 16 F-16 variants in its fleet, including four purchased from Portugal's air force.

Two were delivered on Wednesday, with one more delivery planned.

About 4,600 F-16s have been produced, first by General Dynamics before its merger with Lockheed Martin, since its first flight in 1974. Although no longer purchased by the U.S. Air Force, the aircraft is in use by 26 countries as a multirole fighter plane.

Romania's air force still includes several models of planes, including MiG-21 fighter planes, made in Ukraine and the Soviet Union.

Related Links
Aerospace News at SpaceMart.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Five female fighter pilots test G-force suits modified for women
Washington DC (UPI) Nov 03, 2020
Five female fighter pilots have recently tested G-force suits modified to better fit the frames of women and other body types besides the typical man, the U.S. Air Force said Tuesday. The women pilots tested the modified version of the Advanced Technology Anti-Gravity Suit, from Oct. 26-30, at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, according to a U.S. Air Force statement. The suits have been in use since 2001 to protect pilots from G-force induced loss of consciousness during maneuvers in figh ... read more