AEROSPACE & DEFENSE
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
F-16s May Need $1 Billion in Repairs: Almost all of the F-16 fighters operated by the United States and other countries have cracks that will require more than $1 billion in repairs, a respected British defense journal reported. Jane’s Defense Weekly said 2,900 of the General Dynamics fighters are affected by cracking because of metal fatigue, including 1,861 operated by the U.S. Air Force. Some aircraft may need new wings, it added. The F-16, introduced in the late 1970s, is a single-engine, single-seat fighter capable of operating at twice the speed of sound at 40,000 feet. General Dynamics confirmed that a number of the planes in use have cracks, but wouldn’t comment on the cost of the repairs.
