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US to Begin Delivering 80 F-16 Jet Fighters to UAE in 2004
The United States will start delivering a total of 80 F-16 jet fighters to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as of 2004, Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer, said Wednesday.
"Deliveries will begin in 2004 and it will be the best F-16 ever produced by Lockheed, even better than those in service in the US army because this one involves new technology," said Dave Wright, spokesman for Lockheed Martin.
The acquisition will largely bolster the Gulf country's air force, Wright said on the sidelines of the ongoing 5th International Defense Exhibition, which opened on Sunday.
He added that the deliveries could take several years as the two sides have just signed the contract worth US$6.8 billion, which covers delivery of the fighters, training of personnel, construction of air bases, spare parts and maintenance.
The UAE and the other five members of the Gulf Cooperation Council - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia - currently have more than 500 jet fighters and 200 attack helicopters, most of which were supplied by the US, Britain and France.
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