The air battle over what constitutes a fourth-generation fighter continued in the skies of Farnborough yesterday as Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems president Dain Hancock refuted Saab's claims to have the only true member of that family currently in squadron service. Despite the F-16 Fighting Falcon's age and an admission in another context that the JAS 39 Gripen is "today's airplane," the LMTAS view is that the F-16's detractors have "no knowledge base."

"Look at the customers who have evaluated and picked the F-16," countered Hancock. If anyone says the F-16 is not fourth-generation, "the data is there that says it is." That data includes 20 countries, 14 of which have placed 27 follow-on orders.

In terms of sales, it must be admitted that Hancock has a valid point. As the show began, Lockheed Martin and its licencees in four countries had delivered 3,821 F-16s, and a further 200 or so were on order-not including the recent commitment to 80 by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). "We conservatively anticipate receiving up to 500 additional F-16 orders over the next 10 years, out of a potential fighter market that is perhaps double that number," Hancock said. "And we expect the F-16 to remain in operation with many air forces beyond the year 2030".

Plenty is happening with the F-16 in Europe, said Hancock. Including USAF aircraft, almost 900 are based in the continent, and by 1999 the three licenced production centres in Belgium, the Netherlands (both now closed) and Turkey (included in Europe for the purposes of this exercise) will have produced over 750. A mid-life update (MLU) to 243 older European F-16s is now well under way, with the first re-equipped squadrons operational. These aircraft are known in some quarters as F-16AMs and (two-seat) F-16BMs, although the designations are not recognised by LMTAS.

Additional MLU kits for 20 Portuguese F-16A/Bs are in prospect, said Hancock. However, these are not for the existing 20 new-build aircraft received in 1994, but "for installation on inventory aircraft they are receiving from the U.S. government." There are "several other countries expected to become MLU customers in the future," he said.

Prospects for new F-16s are understood by LMTAS to include Greece and Israel in the short term and, a little later, Norway and Chile. The UAE's prospective order, for so-called Block 60 aircraft, is still being negotiated, with a decision expected by late this year on the exact configuration. It is understood that Block 60 could include features such as two conformal fuel tanks on the aircraft's spine, and forward-looking infrared.

"The F-16 is a true fourth-generation fighter, while still retaining its fundamental tradition of affordability," declared Hancock. "Block 60 will take it beyond that."

By Paul Jackson