China-Sanctioned Lockheed Martin Ramps Up F-16 Production for US Allies

Lockheed Martin is expecting to significantly increase its production of the F-16 Fighting Falcon in the coming years, though it will struggle to overcome delivery delays to critical U.S. security partners such as Taiwan. The company—twice sanctioned by the Chinese government for supplying weapons and equipment to Taipei—is aiming to ramp up its annual output of the latest F-16 Block 70/72 variant, or the F-16V, to 36 units by the end of the year, company officials told the specialist magazine Air and Space Forces. By 2025, they want to build 48 jets per year. But orders at the defense contractor’s…