A modification to the F-35 contract between the U.S. Department of Defense and Lockheed Martin, valued at approximately $12.53 billion, has been finalized. The agreement covers a total of 148 F-35 fighter jets from production lots 18 and 19, with manufacturing and delivery processes to be overseen by the Pentagon.
According to the Pentagon’s contract announcement released on September 29, different F-35 variants will be produced for the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, as well as for program partners and foreign customers. Most of the production will take place at the Fort Worth facility in Texas; additional contributions will come from various sites across the United States, as well as facilities in the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan. Deliveries are expected to be completed by August 2028.
Funding for the contract will come from the budgets of the U.S. Air Force and Navy, along with cooperative program partner funds. The work is being managed by the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River, Maryland.
