Türkiye signs F-16 LOA

Türkiye is looking to buy new F-16s and to upgrade its existing ones, with an LOA now signed. (Turkish Air Force)

Türkiye has signed a letter of acceptance (LOA) for new and upgraded Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons that were approved earlier in 2024.

The US Department of State announced the development on 6 June, saying it was “a major step forward” for Türkiye's plans to acquire 40 new F-16C/D Block 70/72 and 79 F-16V upgrades to existing F-16C/D Block 40 and Block 50+ aircraft (including Service Life Extension Program [SLEP] modifications) that were approved by the US government in January.

The procurement is valued at USD23 billion, including related equipment, spares, training, and support, as is a comprehensive air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons package.

The F-16 is the mainstay of Türkiye's front-line combat aviation force, with the single-seat C and twin-seat D models having been in near-continuous upgrades since their introduction in the late 1980s. Much of this work has been done by domestic industry. As noted by Janes World Air Forces , Türkiye has 174 F-16C and 58 F-16D aircraft in its inventory.

For more information on Türkiye's F-16 fleet, please see Turkey– Air Force .