Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has reopened the production line to manufacture wings for F-16 fighter jets for Lockheed Martin.
The assembly line at the IAI facilities was established during the 1980s.
The resumption in production follows increased worldwide demand for the F-16 Block 70/72, demonstrating another important milestone between the two companies.
IAI president and CEO Boaz Levy said: “Resuming the production of F-16 wings is a continuation of a decades-long cooperation of manufacturing aerostructures for Lockheed Martin customers.
“The F-16 assembly line once again joins IAI’s assembly centre of excellence for the production of fighter aircraft wings.
“The centre also produces F-35 wings along with T-38 wings for the American defence establishment.”
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By GlobalDataThe F-16 Block 70/72 is the newest and most advanced version of the fourth-generation fighter.
The wings produced at the facility will be shipped to the F-16 final assembly line in Greenville, South Carolina, US.
Lockheed Martin Israel chief executive Joshua (Shiki) Shani said: “The reopening of the F-16 wings production line in the IAI facilities is an additional important milestone in Lockheed Martin’s long-standing industrial cooperation with the Israeli industries.
“Now, IAI is producing outer wing boxes for the advanced F-35 and wings for the F-16 fighters, both having new customers in growing numbers, worldwide.
“So far, Lockheed Martin has initiated and maintained significant long-term economic relationships with the State of Israel and its local industries.”
Shani added that Lockheed Martin has invested billions of dollars in Israeli defence and aerospace industries for the advanced technology that the country’s defence industry offers.
The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a US Air Force (USAF) multi-role fighter aircraft.
More than 2,000 aircraft are currently in service with the USAF and 2,500 operational with 25 other countries.