Delays in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program may not have produced big sales for interim aircraft, but could provide a boost for electronic warfare suppliers as militaries endeavor to keep existing hardware operationally relevant. Just how big the boon will be is still unclear and it will likely be budget-driven. The U.S. Air Force, for instance, will put some of its F-16 fleet through a service-life extension program (SLEP) and a capability upgrade. How many F-16s will receive the capability upgrade and how extensive it will be is contingent on the money left over once the SLEP is programmed, a service official indicates.
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