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Lockheed Martin wants to “supercharge” F-35 after NGAD loss

23rd April 2025 - 10:52 GMT | by Lucy Powell in London

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Lockheed Martin anticipates reaching 3,500 F-35 fleet numbers worldwide. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

The investment in technologies developed for Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) aircraft bid will now be applied to its F-35 and F-22 aircraft, according to Lockheed Martin CEO James Taiclet.

Lockheed Martin will “not protest” the US Air Force’s (USAF) decision to award Boeing the NGAD F-47 contract and instead look to “supercharge” its F-35 from the technology investments made, CEO James Taiclet said in the company’s Q1 earnings call on 22 April.

Lockheed Martin, which was beat out by Boeing for the sixth-generation aircraft contract on the 21 March, was the other competitor for the US$20 billion contract in a two-company race after Northrop Grumman dropped out in 2023.

Taiclet confirmed to investors during the call that the company had received a classified debrief and feedback from the USAF

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Lucy Powell

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Lucy Powell


Lucy Powell is Shephard’s Air Reporter. An award-winning journalist with over four years in …

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