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.

Bell-Boeing contracted for V-22 Osprey repair services
Washington (UPI) Dec 16, 2016 - The Bell-Boeing Joint Program Office received two contract modifications to perform repair services for the U.S. Navy's V-22 Osprey aircraft.

The modifications are valued at $246 million and $165.7 million, and are part of a contract with options that can reach a total value of $545 million if all options are exercised. Work will be performed at two locations, including Fort Worth, Texas, and Ridley Park, Pa. The U.S. Department of Defense expects the work to be complete by December 2019.

The U.S. Navy provided $184.6 million at the time of the contract modification award. The Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support in Philadelphia, Pa. is listed as the contracting activity for both modifications.

The Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey is a multirole combat aircraft designed to combine rotary-wing and fixed-wing capabilities. The aircraft is able to perform helicopter-like vertical maneuvers when its rotors are placed in a vertical position, and operate as a turboprop airplane when the rotors are placed horizontally.

In the United States, the Osprey is procured in two main variants, including the MV-22 used by the U.S. Marine Corps and the CV-22 used by the U.S. Air Force.