WASHINGTON (BNS): United State Air Force (USAF) has awarded the Boeing Company a $69.7 million defence contract for the initial engineering, manufacturing and development of QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Targets to replace the QF-4 fleet..

According to a news release by Boeing, the company will be delivering upto 126 QF-16 drones beginning in 2014.

“We are honoured and prepared to provide the USAF, the 691st Armament Systems Squadron, and the QF-16 Programme with next-generation, full-scale aerial targets through a low-risk, affordable, technically superior solution,” said Steve Waltman, director of Boeing Aircraft Sustainment & Maintenance, as reported in the release.

Boeing engineers and support personnel will convert the ageing F-16 aircraft into QF-16s for use as aerial targets for newly developed weapons and tactics. The drones will be able to fly either manned or unmanned.

The Boeing QF-16 team also includes BAE Systems in New York.