Lockheed Martin to procure long-lead items for Italian F-35 production
Italian Air Force F-35Bs. (Photo: Italian Air Force)
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a maximum $524.1 million contract modification from Naval Air Systems Command to cover the procurement of long-lead time components for Italian F-35 aircraft.
The DoD noted in a 9 August announcement that the modification increases the ceiling to procure
‘long-lead time materials, parts, components, and effort for the production of seven Lot 15 F-35A aircraft, two Lot 15 F-35B aircraft, seven Lot 16 F-35A, and two Lot 16 F-35B aircraft for the government of Italy’.
Most of the work (83%) will be carried out at Fort Worth, Texas and other US locations, with additional activities at the BAE Systems facility in Warton, UK (9%) and two overseas F-35A/B production and MRO sites in Cameri, Italy (4%) and Nagoya, Japan (2%).
Work is expected to be completed by June 2025, the DoD added.
Italian plans call for the acquisition of 30 F-35Bs and 60 F-35As.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
Eurosatory 2026: MBDA and Thales look to civilian industry for loitering munition scale-up
Thales and MBDA have taken steps to ensure the mass production of their respective loitering munition offerings at Eurosatoy, teaming with civilian manufacturers. These moves come amid France’s push towards sovereign drone production and continued market expansion.
-
Eurosatory 2026: How the deep-strike, loitering munition market skyrocketed to $13.8 billion in three years
Ukraine’s rapid development of long-range, deep-strike loitering munitions has helped turn the sector into a market worth an estimated US$13.2 billion. The reasons behind this were outlined during Eurosatory 2026, as other countries embark on the early stages of procuring this capability.
-
Eurosatory 2026: Why security agencies are expanding UAS operations across Europe
Uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) are an increasingly important tool for Europe’s law enforcement and public security agencies, with the past two years seeing rapid growth in operational deployment, procurement and regulatory acceptance.
-
Fuselage of the first US Army MV-75 Cheyenne tiltrotor “is nearing completion”
Bell is advancing construction of the US Army’s next-generation MV-75 Cheyenne tiltrotor as FLRAA programme approaches testing, production and future battlefield deployment.