Lockheed Martin receives order for nearly 130 new F-35s
F-35s produced under the modification contract will be delivered for US services and to FMS customers. (Photo: US DoD)
Lockheed Martin has secured a $7.7 million modification contract from the US Air Force for the production and delivery of 126 F-35 fighter.
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $7,7 million modification to a previously awarded advanced acquisition contract with the USAF.
This modification exercises options for the production and delivery of 126 Lot 17 F-35 aircraft to include 81 F-35A aircraft (43 for the USAF, eight for Finland, seven for Italy, six for the Netherlands, six for Poland, four for Japan, four for Belgium and three for Denmark).
It also includes 26 B variant of the F-35 jet (15 for the USMC, seven for the UK, two for Italy and two for Japan) and 19 C variant (13 for the USN and six for the USMC).
Additionally, this modification exercises options to provide for air system diminishing manufacturing sources integration, software data loads, critical safety items and red gear for the USAF, the USMC, the USN, non-DOD participants and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers.
Work will be performed in different locations and is expected to be completed in August 2026.
The contracting activity is the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland.
This modification contract comes as Lockheed Martin is expected to fall short of its target for delivering 156 F-35 fighter jets in 2023 due to a three-month pause in engine deliveries and delays with the Tech Refresh 3 update.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![Connecting the layers: how networks can secure the future of European air defence]()
Connecting the layers: how networks can secure the future of European air defence
The rise of drones has reshaped the threat landscape for all European militaries. For industry, future defensive strategies must carefully balance a mix of passive and active measures to address the evolving danger, based around a highly integrated and responsive network of sensors and effectors.
-
![October drone digest: France and Lithuania advance loitering munition procurements as global spending surges]()
October drone digest: France and Lithuania advance loitering munition procurements as global spending surges
Recent procurement developments in France and Lithuania highlight the growing demand for loitering munitions, with global annual spending forecast to increase nearly 50-fold between 2020 and 2029.
-
![Quantum Systems details 480km/h Ukrainian interceptor as production scales up]()
Quantum Systems details 480km/h Ukrainian interceptor as production scales up
Quantum Systems’s Ukraine-made interceptor SPYS is thought to cost approximately 10 times less than Russia's jet-powered uncrewed aerial systems and is being produced at scale.
-
![UK eyes lightweight satellite communications for UAVs]()
UK eyes lightweight satellite communications for UAVs
The UK is seeking to extend the operational reach of uncrewed aerial vehicles, reflecting growing demand for compact, energy-efficient technology to support beyond-line-of-sight operations.
