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Article: Limited missions cited as reason other nations fare better.(Nation)(Special Report)
- Article from:
- The Washington Times (Washington, DC)
- Article date:
- November 28, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 News World Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The military's 20-year love affair with F-16 fighter planes - although beset by problems - is not just an American romance. But for unknown reasons, few of the 19 foreign air forces that fly them report the accident rate the U.S. Air Force endures.
Lockheed Martin, maker of the single-engine aircraft, reports that in 1998, all foreign owners of F-16s combined lost three planes to crashes while the U.S. Air Force lost 17. The U.S. Air Force's "attrition rate" was almost four times as high as other nations.
U.S. officials say other nations can expect fewer crashes because their operations are more limited.
"Israel, for instance, flies a ...