Breaking Defense
• Michael Marrow
The U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing a sole-source contract with a $131.23 billion ceiling to produce, modernize and sustain F-15s for U.S. and foreign customers through 2037. Separately, Raytheon expanded Mississippi manufacturing and Lockheed Martin outlined a $1.8 billion industrial package tied to Peru’s F-16 purchase.
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The U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing a sole-source contract with a $131.23 billion ceiling to produce, modernize and sustain F-15s for U.S. and foreign customers through 2037. Separately, Raytheon expanded Mississippi manufacturing and Lockheed Martin outlined a $1.8 billion industrial package tied to Peru’s F-16 purchase.
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Saab’s two-seat Gripen F completed its maiden flight from Linköping on Aug. 28, flying for approximately 40 minutes. The milestone advances the Brazil–Sweden fighter program as Saab renews its Canadian sales effort and positions the aircraft for future operations alongside drones and rapid software upgrades.
Lockheed Martin has presented Peru with a $1.8 billion industrial and social package linked to its proposed acquisition of 12 F-16C/D Block 70 fighters. The plan includes local aerospace participation, technology transfer, MRO expansion, maintenance training, drone assembly and workforce-development initiatives, with first deliveries expected in 2030.
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A Hungarian Air Force Gripen fighter jet crashed at or near Szolnok military base during an emergency landing after a reported onboard computer malfunction. The pilot ejected and was transported to Budapest in stable condition; no civilian casualties or damage outside the base were reported, and an investigation is underway.
Romanian F-16s destroyed a suspected Russian naval drone near the Neptun Deep offshore gas project in the Black Sea, while Romanian and U.S. forces trained with Gepard air defenses in Poland. Ukraine has also added its first domestically developed jet-powered drone interceptor to its counter-UAS arsenal.
Peru has selected L3Harris Technologies’ Viper Shield electronic warfare suite for its planned F-16C/D Block 70 fighters. The decision adds a key survivability system to the modernization program, which will replace the country’s decades-long reliance on Soviet-designed combat aircraft.
Romania used an F-16 to destroy a drifting marine drone near the Neptun Deep gas project after a NATO-level command handover, while Latvia attributed a separate airspace incursion to Ukraine. The incidents highlight how Russia’s war is creating cross-border risks for critical infrastructure and airspace security.
The first new-build F-16 Block 70 fighters ordered for Taiwan have been seen departing Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas, production facility and traveling toward Asia. Two aircraft were previously spotted landing at the facility, marking visible progress in Taiwan’s long-awaited fighter acquisition.
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