Lockheed Martin enters into partnership with Sabena for maintenance of F-16 fighter jets

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Copyright © BusinessAMBE 2023 Key takeaways Lockheed Martin has appointed Sabena Engineering as its main European partner for the maintenance of F-16 fighter jets. This alliance creates a strategic regional hub to maximise the operational readiness of the aircraft. Sabena is drawing on five decades of expertise to support the advanced Block 70/72 models. Lockheed Martin has chosen Sabena Engineering as its main European partner for the maintenance of F-16 fighter aircraft. This partnership, which has been officially sealed by a letter of intent signed during the Farnborough Airshow, extends to the most advanced versions of the aircraft, in particular the Block 70/72 models. Decades of operational expertise Since its integration into the Orizio aviation group in 2021, together with Sabca, Sabena has been making use of more than five decades of operational knowledge of the F-16. This expertise is rooted in the history of Sabca, which assembled the Belgian F-16 fleet in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as in the subsequent maintenance tasks, which were later integrated into Sabena’s activities. Establishment of a strategic regional hub The collaboration combines Lockheed’s technical expertise with Sabena’s existing Belgian infrastructure to establish a strategic regional centre. According to Stéphane Burton , CEO of Orizio, this alliance creates a versatile support system that enables operators to build up their own local maintenance capabilities while simultaneously making use of a centralised hub. Mike Shoemaker of Lockheed Martin added that this combined strategy is designed to maximise the operational readiness of customers’ fleets. Diverse aerospace portfolio With a workforce of more than 900 employees in Morocco and Belgium , Sabena Engineering has a diverse portfolio. In addition to its F-16 commitments, the company provides technical support for MQ-9B unmanned aerial vehicles, A400M transport aircraft and F-35 stealth fighter jets. Want to receive more defence news? Sign up for our weekly Defence Insider newsletter Follow Business AM on Google News as well Want access to all articles? Take advantage of our temporary promotion and subscribe here! © The Content Exchange, source News

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