US Air Force Orders 25 More QF-16s

The US Air Force issued Boeing an order for 25 converted QF-16 full-scale aerial target drones under a $28.5 million contract option, the Pentagon announced. The sum covers Lot 3 production on Boeing’s conversion line at Cecil Field, Fla., and a four-year coverage of drone-specific systems supplied by the company, according to DOD’s list of major contracts. The company delivered the first QF-16C under production Lot 1 to Tyndall AFB, Fla., March 11. Boeing is under contract to deliver an additional 13 of the converted F-16s under low rate initial production by early October. A further 23 FSAT conversions will be delivered as part of Lot 2 production through May 2016. Lot 3 production QF-16s will be delivered by the end of October 2017, according to DOD.

Boeing is contracted to modify as many as 126 early-model F-16As and F-16Cs to replace the legacy QF-4 Phantom fleet.