Raytheon to provide new F-16 mission computers for U.S. Air Force

PLANO, Texas, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force has selected Raytheon to develop and produce new mission computers for the F-16 fighter aircraft.

Under the contract, the company will develop the new Modular Mission Computer Upgrade, which Raytheon says offers two times the processing power and 40 times the current memory as existing F-16 mission computers.

"The new mission computer is a game changer for the F-16," program manager Josh Cobbs said in a press release. "The brain of the F-16, this mission computer can process more information faster, allowing the pilot to put weapons on targets with greater reliability."

The Modular Mission Computer Upgrade, or MMCU, combines multicore processing, high-speed computing and data networks with cybersecurity capabilities. Raytheon says the computer makes the legacy F-16 aircraft a more capable fighter alongside more modern variants.

"The F-16 remains the backbone of the global allied fighting force, and the mission computer will deliver capabilities to combat emerging threats alongside fifth-generation fighters well into the future," Raytheon's Travis Slocrumb added.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon is one of the most numerous aircraft currently in service with the U.S. Air Force. The multi-mission fighter is slated to be phased out and replaced with Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lighting II.