F-35 Lightning II. (Photo: DVIDS)
Lockheed Martin has obtained a $2 billion modification contract from US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in the US.
Under the modification to a previously awarded fixed-price incentive advance acquisition contract. Lockheed Martin will manufacture and deliver 16 Lot 15 production F-35 Lightning II aircraft, comprising ten F-35As for the USAF and six F-35Bs to the USMC.
Lockheed Martin will perform most of the work in Texas, with completion expected in May 2026.
Some 40% of the funds come from the USN FY2021 aircraft procurement budget with the remaining 60% from USAF FY2021 aircraft procurement funds, the DoD noted in a 24 September announcement.
The company has tested over 15 mission sets for the drone, with the rotorcraft used to demonstrate the viability of armed forces utilising large uncrewed aerial systems’ (UAS) for autonomous missions in the future.
The US Navy’s answer to a sixth-generation fighter has experienced a range of setbacks and delays to the programme, with only $47 million in this latest proposed budget set aside for completing the aircraft.
The UAE’s Edge Group has been positioning itself as a key defence and technology partner to Indonesia, where it has been focusing on naval platforms, UAVs and long-term industrial collaboration.
With roughly 80% of combat missions flown by Typhoons in Europe, the Eurofighter consortium is emphasising the continued relevance of its jet and wants to ramp up production to continue to deliver combat mass in light of a shifting geo-political world order.
In the past 18 months, Boeing’s MQ-28A Ghost Bat uncrewed aerial system (UAS) has achieved several milestones including teaming with manned aircraft, achieving 100 flight hours and training of first military pilot.
The order for two more aircraft for the NATO Multinational Multirole Tanker Transport (MRTT) fleet comes as Airbus considers increasing A330 MRTT production to meet demand.
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