PZL Mielec, a Lockheed Martin company and one of Poland’s longest-established aircraft manufacturers, is to be a manufacturing partner for one of the most successful fighter aircraft programmes. Beginning next year, PZL Mielec will build components and assemblies for the latest generation F-16 Block 70/72, sustaining around 200 jobs, with approximately 60 new jobs being created.
This development marks a significant new milestone for PZL Mielec, which was last involved in the production of fighter aircraft in the 1960s. Beginning next year, PZL Mielec will manufacture the rear fuselage, centre fuselage, cockpit structure, cockpit side panel and forward equipment bay for new production F-16s, exporting the aerostructures to Lockheed Martin’s final assembly line in Greenville, South Carolina.
With orders already secured for the F-16 Block 70/72 from five customers, global interest remains high for new-build production aircraft and for F-16V upgrades.
