20:16 GMT, June 28, 2009 Egypt has requested the US to supply it 24 new Lockheed Martin F16 Block 52 fighter aircraft to upgrade its existing fleet.

Egypt's hosting of President Barack Obama's "mutual respect" speech to the Muslim world came at the same time the Obama administration quietly was agreeing to Egypt's longstanding request to purchase some 24 F-16 fighters, according to a report in Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.

According to informed sources, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates relayed the commitment in his May 5 meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

The Egyptian request for Lockheed Martin’s F-16s and other munitions had been denied repeatedly by the former Bush administration over Egypt's record on human rights and democracy. Those munitions included the Longbow Apache helicopter, mobile air defense systems and the Joint Direct Attack Munition which is a guidance kit that converts existing unguided or "dumb" bombs into "smart" munitions.

Lockheed Martin chief executive officer Robert Stevens confirmed that the company had been notified of the Egyptian request.

The 24 F-16s would replace some of the other 220 F-16s of varying capability that Egypt has acquired on five separate occasions beginning in 1980 under direct U.S. Foreign Military Sales and through the Netherlands and Turkey.

Egypt has been flying the F-16 since 1982, and received 220 of the aircraft by 2002 (42 Block 15 F-16A/B, 40 Block 32 F-16C/D and 138 Block 40 F-16C/D).