F-16 fighters upgraded in Türkiye

The first upgraded F-16s were handed over to the Turkish Air Force. The local companies managed to prolong service life of fighters by more than 30%.

The Turkish Air Force received the first modernized F-16 fighters. The aircraft were upgraded by local companies, the head of the defense industry department of the republic informed on Thursday. 

According to the message posted on his social network page, radars, control systems and avionics were replaced on the Block-30 version of the fighters. According to Ismail Demir, thus, it became possible to extend their service life by more than 30% - from 8,000 to 12,000 hours.

The Block 40 and 50 aircraft are to be modernized the same way, Turkish media informs. Thus, they may stay in service up to 2040s.