Washington, May 2, 2026: The United States Air Force has awarded a $488 million contract to Northrop Grumman for engineering and technical support of F-16 radar systems under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme, with Pakistan listed among the beneficiary countries.
According to an official contract award notice issued by the US Department of Defense, the firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity agreement covers support for the F-16 System Programme Office’s foreign military sales requirements as well as operational needs of the US Air Force and Navy.
The contract includes engineering and technical assistance for APG-66 and APG-68 radar systems used in F-16 fighter aircraft. The work will be conducted in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, and is expected to continue through March 31, 2036.
Besides Pakistan, the agreement also covers foreign military sales support for Bahrain, Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, South Korea, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Thailand and Türkiye.
The US Air Force said the contract was awarded on a sole-source basis. Initial fiscal year 2026 non-appropriated Air Force and Navy funds worth approximately $2.64 million have been obligated at the time of the award.
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is overseeing the contract, which was formally awarded on April 27, 2026.
The development comes months after the Defense Security Cooperation Agency approved a separate $686 million package for Pakistan’s F-16 fleet in December 2025.
According to the DSCA notification sent to the US Congress, the package included Link-16 data link systems, cryptographic equipment, avionics upgrades, training and extensive logistical support for Pakistan’s F-16 aircraft.
The agency had stated that the sale supported US foreign policy and national security objectives by helping Pakistan maintain interoperability with US and partner forces in counterterrorism operations and future contingency missions.
The upgrades are aimed at modernising Pakistan’s Block-52 and Mid-Life Upgrade F-16 fleet while enhancing operational safety and sustaining the aircraft’s capability to address current and future threats.
