Air Force awards $900 million F-16 contract to Greenville’s Lockheed Martin facility

Greenville, South Carolina will be home to the first F-16 industry depot in the United States, the Air Force announced Friday, awarding a 10-year, $900 million contract to Lockheed Martin.

Under the contract, workers at Lockheed’s facility in Greenville will maintain and upgrade F-16 fighter jets, ensuring they’re fit to fight.

Similar facilities exist overseas, according to the USAF, but this would be the first of its kind on American soil.

The contract is expected to create between 50 to 80 new jobs, according to U.S. Rep. William Timmons.

“We are thrilled the Air Force has chosen Lockheed Martin Greenville for their F-16 Depot Overflow program,” Timmons said in a statement, pointing out that the facility will now be both producing and maintaining F-16s.

“I was proud to support Lockheed Martin’s efforts in securing this contract along with the rest of the South Carolina congressional delegation. We are grateful to the Air Force for awarding this contract today, and we look forward to Greenville becoming the Center of Excellence for the F-16 Fighting Falcon,” Timmons said.

The Greenville F-16 production facility opened in 2019, after Lockheed shifted production of the jet away from its operations in Fort Worth — allowing the Texas facility to focus on F-35 jets.

The last F-16 produced in Fort Worth came off the line in 2017, the Star Telegram reported.

This story was originally published December 11, 2020 at 8:01 PM with the headline "Air Force awards $900 million F-16 contract to Greenville’s Lockheed Martin facility."