Contrary to several published reports last summer, the UAE will not be receiving software source codes for the F-16's radar and electronic warfare systems. Other than close NATO allies, no government has been given access to U.S. source codes due to the advanced nature of the technology. Source codes are the programming language that run the computer's systems.
Object codes are similar to a software program loaded on a computer to perform a specific task.
According to one senior U.S. defense official, the object codes provided to the UAE will allow them to modify the data file the plane uses to detect potential threats. However, they would not be able to upgrade the electronic warfare or radar systems without U.S. assistance, since that requires source codes. The Air Force and Lockheed Martin are now saying that the UAE never asked for source codes, only object codes. This claim goes against numerous reports over the previous year, as well as comments from UAE officials, that the UAE was demanding source codes. Not until an August 1999 Parade magazine piece mentioned that the UAE was to receive source codes did Lockheed Martin and the Air Force publically deny that source codes were ever involved.