General Dynamics received a $4.3-billion contract.

The St. Louis-based firm was awarded the multi-year contract for continuing production of 720 F-16 jet fighters through May, 1991. The four-year contract was authorized by Congress late last year in a bid to hold down production expenses. The Air Force believes that by contracting for four years of production at once, it will save about $358 million. The F-16 is a single-engine aircraft and is produced at the the company’s Fort Worth plant.