Lockheed aims to churn out dozens of F-16 pilots per year at new training center

What the initiative entails

Lockheed Martin plans on graduating 100 to 120 new F-16 pilots annually at its new pilot training center that's scheduled to open in Greenville, South Carolina in 2023. The initiative comes after the Air Force approached Lockheed to help tackle the shortage of qualified fighter pilots. Training will be provided under a $17.4 billion contract for a decade.

How they will get there

Contractor-owned, contractor-operated training centers, like the one planned by Lockheed, "provide the flexibility, innovation and capacity to increase production of combat-ready pilots," said Maj. Gen. Craig Wills, commander of the Air Force's 19th Air Force, in a statement.

Lt. Col. David Appelbaum, the commander of the 55th Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina, said the Air Force is "really happy" to partner with Lockheed Martin to solve the fighter pilot shortage problem. He added that the new training center is a "huge step in the right direction."

Urgency

The Air Force has been struggling to produce enough fighter pilots for years. In 2018, the service had a shortfall of about 2,000 pilots. The problem has only gotten worse since then. In 2022, the Air Force had a shortfall of about 3,000 pilots.

The shortage of fighter pilots is a major problem for the Air Force. Without enough pilots, the service cannot fly its planes and defend the country.

The new training center is a step in the right direction. If Lockheed Martin can produce 100 to 120 new F-16 pilots per year, it will go a long way towards solving the shortage of fighter pilots.