Pentagon and Lockheed Martin Seal Major Deal for Lots 15-17, Marking a Year of Global Expansion

The F-35 Joint Program Office along with Lockheed Martin have concluded the agreement for the manufacture and delivery of up to 398 F-35s valued at $30 billion, encompassing U.S. forces, international allies, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) aircraft in Lots 15 and 16, with an option for Lot 17.

“The F-35 offers unparalleled capabilities to our soldiers and operational leaders,” stated Air Force Lt. Gen. Mike Schmidt, program executive officer for the F-35 Joint Program Office. “This agreement finds the ideal equilibrium between the interests of U.S. taxpayers, military branches, allies, and our foreign military sales clients. The F-35 is the world’s leading multi-role, 5th-generation combat system, and the enhanced Block 4 features these new aircraft will introduce not only fortifies capabilities but also promotes interoperability with our partners across terrestrial, marine, aerial, and cyber domains.”

The contract stipulates 145 aircraft for Lot 15, 127 for Lot 16, and as many as 126 for the Lot 17 option, which includes the initial F-35 aircraft for Belgium, Finland, and Poland.

The Lot 15-17 aircraft will be the first to incorporate Technical Refresh-3 (TR-3), the upgraded hardware requisite to facilitate Block 4 functionalities. TR-3 entails a novel integrated core processor that provides enhanced computing power, a panoramic cockpit display, and an upgraded memory unit.

These aircraft will contribute to the expanding global fleet, which currently stands at 894 aircraft following 141 deliveries this year. The F-35 team is on schedule to fulfill the commitment of 148 aircraft as envisioned; however, due to a temporary suspension in flight operations, which remains in effect, essential acceptance flight tests could not be executed.

The confirmed contract culminates a year of the F-35 delivering battle-tested airpower worldwide and ongoing international expansion. This year, Finland, Germany, and Switzerland executed Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOAs) in a significant progression for their acquisition of F-35 aircraft.

“The ongoing inclusion of new nations into our global F-35 fleet further substantiates the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of this aircraft in ensuring 21st Century Security for countries and allies,” remarked Bridget Lauderdale, Lockheed Martin’s vice president and general manager for the F-35 Program. “No other aircraft can perform the extensive roles that the F-35 fulfills to counteract and deter even the most sophisticated threats.”

Presently, F-35 program partners comprise 17 nations. To date, more than 1,870 pilots and 13,500 technicians have received training, and the F-35 fleet has exceeded 602,000 cumulative flight hours.