NAVAIR awards Block 4-related F-35 contracts
An F-35A Lightning II takes off for a training mission in July 2021. (Photo: US Air National Guard/Tech Sgt Ryan Campbell)
Latest contracts cover F-35 Block 4 manufacturing capacity, Block 4 simulation and training plus depot-level engine maintenance.
In a flurry of activity, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in the US on 30 September awarded multiple contracts related to the F-35 programme.
Lockheed Martin received two contract modifications worth $265.59 million and $228.68 million respectively.
The former exercises options and adds scope to increase Block 4 manufacturing capacity ‘and procure material modification kits and special test/tooling equipment that remove life limits, correct deficiencies, and retrofit aircraft with Technical Refresh 3’, the DoD announced.
These retrofits and modifications cover F-35s operated by the USAF, USMC and USN, as well as FMS customers and other operators.
Work is expected to be completed in September 2028.
The other contract modification, for completion by December 2025, adds scope for Lockheed Martin to develop F-35 training systems with a simulation capability for Block 4, ‘to include Joint Strike Missiles, weapons, integrated fire control, [the] F-35 Lightning Integrated Training Environment, and additional training development required to meet a Lot 17 delivery’, the DoD revealed.
In yet another NAVAIR deal for the F-35 that was announced on 30 September, Raytheon and Pratt & Whitney received a $232.78 million contract to procure material and support equipment for depot-level F135 engine maintenance facilities and unit-level support equipment at various locations by September 2025, including sites in Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway and the US.
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