Quantcast

USAF awards $89M contract for new head-up displays for F-16 fleet

Alaska Airlines flight attendants reject new contract, union says there's 'more work to do'
Elliott Investment To Push For 10 New Boardroom Directors At Southwest Airlines
Alaska Air Backs JetZero Blended-Wing Design
AI in Aviation Line Maintenance: A Strategic Response to Delays, Satisfaction, and Staffing Challenges
Air taxi service plans for 2026 Los Angeles launch at USC, SoFi and LAX
VistaJet Flight Brings Home Americans in Prisoner Swap
Air Canada Blames Paris Olympics On Decreased Profits
Delta passengers sue airline over refund refusals after CrowdStrike meltdown
Microsoft fires back at Delta after massive outage, says airline declined ‘repeated’ offers for help
Korean Air Confirms A Spacious Lounge Is Coming To The New Terminal One at New York JFK
VAS Aero Services to Acquire an Additional 17 Airbus A320 Airframes, Bringing to 23 the Total Number of A320s Slated for Teardown and Harvested Parts Redistribution
Delta CEO says CrowdStrike-Microsoft outage cost the airline $500 million
Boeing Reports $16.9 Billion In Revenue For 2nd Quarter With 5,400 Commercial Aircraft Backlog
United Airlines says flight attendant in Terrell Davis incident is no longer employed and NFL legend’s ‘no fly’ ban is lifted | CNN
Nepal Plane Crash Kills 18 After Takeoff - Airline Ratings
Southwest Airlines is getting rid of open seating | CNN Business
CrowdStrike Outage Caused 10% Spike in Air Charter
Aircraft Engine Maintenance and Repair to Peak in 2026, Worsening Capacity Shortage for Commercial Aviation, Says Bain & Company
Joby’s Electric Air Taxi Makes European Debut
The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation announces NLRB-scheduled vote to remove union officials
Families recount the horror of MH17 ten years on - Airline Ratings
777-9 Enters Certification Flight Testing - AVweb
Kompass Kapital Sets New Course with Airshare Investment
SATS, SIA Engineering Company and Changi Airport Group to Trial Autonomous Buses at Changi Airport
Qatar Airways Landing An A350 In Hamburg Makes A Powerful Statement - Airline Ratings
EBAA Backs Dassault's Sustainability Lawsuit against European Commission | AIN
American Airlines Now Lets You Earn And Spend Miles On Concerts And Events
Boeing agrees to plead guilty to defrauding the FAA but escapes punishment sought by victims’ families | CNN Business
IATA partners with Aviation Sustainability Forum to tackle cabin waste
Qatar Airways In Talks To Buy 20% Of Virgin Australia - Airline Ratings
USAF awards $89M contract for new head-up displays for F-16 fleet
Policy
Webp 5r3vc2svdh8ibaxk8gr8iutw0za2
Simple Flying | Simple Flying

The United States Air Force (USAF) has awarded a contract to Elbit Systems of America, valued at up to $89 million, for equipping its F-16 Block 40/42 fleet with new head-up displays (HUD). This system, known as the Wide-Angle Conventional Head-Up Display (WACHUD), is designed to provide pilots with critical information during flights and will replace the Diffractive Optic HUD currently installed on some USAF F-16s.

The contract was issued as a firm Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) agreement to Elbit America, the U.S. subsidiary of Israeli military technology company Elbit Systems. The initial order placed in September is valued at over $57.5 million, while the total ceiling cost of the contract could reach $89 million.

Elbit America will carry out these upgrades at its facility located in Talladega, Alabama, with deliveries scheduled through September 2027. Scott Tumpak, Senior Vice President of Electronic Systems at Elbit America, stated: "The Wide-Angle Conventional Head-Up Display replacements provide modernization but also commonality across the US Air Force’s F-16 fleet. This commonality benefits the pilots, maintainers and supply chain, as the single configuration is easier to manage and maintain across the entire F-16 fleet."

Get the Newsletter
Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Sky Industry News
By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

The WACHUD system features an Israeli-developed wide-angle design that improves upon existing narrow HUDs by offering a broader field of information. It integrates with current systems on the F-16 such as radar and targeting systems, helmet-mounted display systems, and night vision goggles. The updated HUD brings F-16 capabilities closer to those found in fifth-generation fighters like the F-22 and F-35.

Since its inception in the 1980s, the Block 40/42 program for the F-16 has focused on enhancing navigation, night operations, and strike precision capabilities among other improvements. The U.S. plans to keep this aircraft model operational until at least the 2040s despite efforts to retire older airframes being delayed by Congress until fiscal year 2025.

In addition to this latest contract with Elbit America, past significant investments include a $6.3 billion upgrade initiative named Post Block Integration Team (PoBIT) announced in 2022 for over 600 Block 40/42 and Block 50/52 jets involving multiple modifications including Northrop Grumman's AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR). Another major investment was a $1 billion Common Configuration Implementation Program (CCIP) around 2000 which involved installing new cockpit displays among other updates.

Organizations Included in this History
More News

London Heathrow, recognized as Europe's busiest airport, will soon experience an increase in its flight offerings by Oman Air.

Sep 2, 2025

Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport will commence safety and airfield improvement projects on Runway 12R-30L in two distinct phases throughout 2025.

Aug 22, 2025

Delta Air Lines is adjusting its service between Atlanta and Anchorage, extending flights beyond the summer travel season to a year-round offering.

May 15, 2025

UNI Global Union's U.S. affiliate, SEIU, is staging protests across the country against the detention of immigrant workers, including SEIU members.

Apr 18, 2025

An international delegation was barred from entering an Elanders/Bergen Logistics distribution center in New Jersey.

Apr 18, 2025

UNI Global Union affiliate, Communication Workers’ Union of Kenya (COWU Kenya), and Teleperformance have reached a local implementation agreement in Kenya.

Apr 18, 2025