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Block 70 F-16.
NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland—Lockheed Martin is pitching an upgraded variant of the F-16, called the F-16G, to the U.S. Air Force to fill Fighting Falcon units that will age out of their existing fighters.
Multiple sources told Aviation Week that the F-16G is an improved version of the latest Block 70 variant of the fighter. A source familiar with the aircraft says it will include conformal fuel tanks, 600-gal. wing tanks, both an infrared search and track and SNIPER targeting pods and a drag chute.
The Air Force has long considered buying new F-16s. In 2021, for example, then-Air Force Assistant Secretary for Acquisition Will Roper told Aviation Week that because of the aging fleet and capacity shortfalls, the service should take advantage of the hot production line.
“As you look at the new F-16 production line in South Carolina, that system has some wonderful upgraded capabilities that are worth thinking about as part of our capacity solution,” Roper said at the time.
Lockheed Martin on Sept. 16 would not provide details on the possibility. In a statement, the company said it stands ready to support the U.S. Air Force and its mission needs. “Our proven products are the backbone of the USAF fleet and provide the most advanced and versatile capabilities to ensure air dominance now and for decades to come,” the company said.
The Air Force in a statement declined to comment specifically on the F-16G.
“The Department of the Air Force is in the initial phases of analyzing options for the next Future Years Defense Program,” the service said. “At this stage, we have neither defined the precise mission requirements nor the spectrum of options that could fill it.”
The deliberation comes after a 2025 study found a need to increase production of fighter aircraft to meet shortfalls. The service requires more airframes on its ramps to backfill its F-16 units at a faster pace than the company can produce the F-35.
The Air Force says that procuring fighters in larger numbers could increase the inventory from 1,098 in fiscal 2026 to 1,558 aircraft in fiscal 2035 “to achieve an acceptable level of risk to operations in support of the National Military Strategy,” the Congressional Research Service says.
Inside Defense reported in December 2025 that the service was weighing buying the new variant of the F-16 to fill capability gaps at a lower cost than the F-35. Air and Space Forces Magazine reported the consideration of the F-16G, saying it will be considered at the upcoming Corona gathering of the service’s top generals.
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