New Zealand Cancels Plan to Lease F-16s; Aircraft Remain in Storage

By Adam J. Hebert / March 21, 2000 at 5:00 AM
The government of New Zealand decided yesterday to cancel an agreement to lease 28 F-16s from the United States, once again clouding the future of the fighters, which have been in long-term storage for several years. An official with the New Zealand embassy told InsideDefense.com the decision to cancel the lease was an economic one, and not based on any dissatisfaction with the lease terms or the aircraft themselves. "There were other priorities to spend the money on. It wasn't...

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