Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of F-16 fighter jets, is ready to increase their production to meet the demand of the countries that might agree to re-export their aircraft to Ukraine.

Frank St. John, Chief Operating Officer of Lockheed Martin, stated this, the Financial Time reported.

According to him, the US company does not directly participate in the negotiations on the possible supply of combat aircraft to Ukraine.

At the same time, St. John noted that there was “a lot of talk about third-party transfers of the F-16s.” That is, regarding the fact that countries could re-export their American-made fighter jets to Ukraine to protect its airspace from Russian invaders.

St. John shared that Lockheed Martin is going to ramp up production of F-16 fighter jets in Greenville, South Carolina.

The new planes should satisfy the demand of any countries that decide to transfer their combat aircraft to Ukraine.

However, the publication notes that the sale or transfer of American-made fighter jets to third countries must first be approved by the US government.

And so far, the White House has rejected Ukraine’s request for F-16 fighter jets due to fears that they could be used to strike Russian territory.

“Together with our international allies and partners, we constantly communicate with Ukrainians regarding their needs and requests. There is nothing to announce about the F-16 at this time,” a Pentagon official noted in his comment to the media.

Recently, Colonel Yurii Ihnat, Spokesman for the Air Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, shared that the type of combat aircraft Ukraine could receive, if such a decision were to be made, has basically been determined.

On January 24 of this year, Lockheed Martin tested the first F-16 fighter jet produced at the Greenville plant.

This F-16 Block 70 two-seat fighter aircraft has been produced for Bahrain.