Flight International,
The United Arab Emirates air force and air defence command has taken delivery of 30 of its Lockheed Martin F-16E/F Block 60 aircraft out of a total order of 80, says UAE air defence command assistant commander Brig Gen Ali Khadem Al Mansouri.
The air defence command will work towards full operational capability during 2006, he says, but this depends on delivery schedule compliance and training. Khadem says 13 aircraft will remain in the USA to support training.
The service is studying the possibility of the aircraft taking on stand-off strike missions, which are currently carried out by the UAE
