Title: US Ramps Up F-35 Fighter Jet Production with $11.76 Billion Contract Award
The U.S. Department of Defense has beefed up its F-35 fighter jet fleet, announcing a new modification contract worth $11.76 billion to Lockheed Martin. This latest deal, revealed in the Pentagon’s contract summary for the week ending December 20, 2023, will see the addition of 145 new F-35 aircraft to the U.S. military’s inventory and that of its allies.
Breakdown of the New "Lote 18" Contract
The new contract, dubbed "Lote 18," includes 83 F-35s for the U.S. military, with the remaining 62 destined for U.S. allies or export through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Here’s the breakdown:
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U.S. Military:
- USAF: 48 F-35A variants
- USMC: 16 F-35B and 5 F-35C variants
- USN: 14 F-35C variants
- Allies and FMS:
- F-35A: 15 for allies, 39 for FMS
- F-35B: 1 for allies, 7 for FMS
Production and Delivery Timeline
Production will span across multiple facilities, including new final assembly and verification lines in Cameri, Italy, and Nagoya, Japan. The bulk of the work, about 85%, will be carried out in the U.S., with smaller percentages done in the UK (9%), Italy (4%), and Japan (2%). All F-35s from this batch are expected to be delivered by 2027.
Current F-35 Inventory and Future Plans
Currently, the U.S. military boasts an inventory of approximately 630 F-35s across all variants. With plans to add another 1800 units, the U.S. faces challenges such as delays in software updates, notably the truncated TR-3 standard, which have limited the jet’s operational capabilities and increased associated costs. According to the Government Accountability Office, operating and support costs have risen by 44% since 2018.
While the U.S. has started accepting some F-35s without fully completed updates for training purposes, it continues to advance the F-35 Block 4 configuration and modernize its F135 engines through a $1.3 billion contract with Pratt & Whitney. Additionally, it is developing new long-range weapons like the SiAW missiles, with the first prototype received last November.
Images courtesy of Zona Militar and used for illustrative purposes.
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