The U.S. Air Force is considering buying new F-16 fighters to address a shortfall in its fighter fleet, a move that would supplement the F-35 and future Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) aircraft. The Air Force has not confirmed a requirement, saying it is still analyzing options for its next Future Years Defense Program.
Lockheed Martin declined to confirm details about the F-16G when asked on Sept. 16, saying only that it remains ready to support the Air Force’s mission needs. The Air Force likewise declined to comment on the F-16G specifically, stating it is in the early stages of reviewing options for its next Future Years Defense Program and has not yet settled on requirements.
F-16G Details
According to a Defence Blog report citing Aviation Week, the F-16G would build on the current Block 70 F-16, Lockheed’s newest production version, and add:
- Conformal fuel tanks
- 600-gallon wing tanks
- An infrared search and track pod
- A Sniper targeting pod
- A drag chute
These additions would extend the jet’s range and give it greater sensor capability compared with earlier F-16 models still flying in Air Force squadrons.
Background and Context
The idea of buying new F-16s is not new. Then-Air Force Assistant Secretary for Acquisition Will Roper raised the option in 2021, pointing to the active F-16 production line in Greenville, South Carolina, as a way to add capacity while the F-35 program worked through its delivery pace. Lockheed builds F-16s and F-35s at separate facilities, but the F-35’s more complex production process has left the Air Force short of new airframes to replace F-16s reaching the end of their service lives.
A 2025 Air Force study identified a need for more fighter production to close a growing capacity gap. The Congressional Research Service says the service wants to grow its fighter inventory from 1,098 aircraft in fiscal 2026 to 1,558 by fiscal 2035, a target the Air Force has described as necessary to keep risk to its operations at an acceptable level under the National Military Strategy.
Inside Defense reported in December 2025 that the Air Force was considering a new F-16 variant as a lower-cost way to fill capability gaps than buying more F-35s. Air and Space Forces Magazine has reported that the F-16G is expected to come up for discussion at an upcoming Corona conference, the periodic gathering of the service’s top generals.
Neither the Air Force nor Lockheed Martin has said when a decision on the F-16G might come, or how many aircraft such a program could involve.
Sources: Shephard Media · Air & Space Forces Magazine