Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has received two prestigious supplier awards from American defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, recognizing the Israeli company's performance in producing critical components for the F-35 and F-16 fighter aircraft programs.
The awards recognize IAI's achievements in quality, delivery, and operational performance during 2025.
IAI received the Mission Focused Award for its work on the F-16 wings, vertical fins, and conformal fuel tank programs, as well as the Ahead of Ready Award for its F-35 wings program.
Senior Lockheed Martin representatives presented the awards to IAI leadership during a ceremony held at the Israeli company's facilities.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics works with more than 1,400 active suppliers worldwide, maintaining strict requirements for quality, delivery schedules, operational performance, and customer support.
Only a limited number of suppliers are selected for the company's annual awards, making IAI's recognition in two separate categories a significant achievement.
The awards highlight the Israeli company's ability to meet demanding manufacturing and delivery requirements across two of the world's major fighter aircraft programs.
IAI President and CEO Guy Bar Lev welcomed the recognition, emphasizing the longstanding cooperation between the two companies.
"The partnership between IAI and Lockheed Martin spans nearly four decades and is built on mutual trust, technological cooperation and a shared commitment to supporting critical aerospace and defense programs," Bar Lev said.
"Over the years, our companies have worked together to meet evolving operational needs and deliver advanced capabilities to customers worldwide. We look forward to continuing to strengthen this partnership in the years ahead."
Yaacov Berkovitz, Executive Vice President and General Manager of IAI's Aviation Group, stressed the importance of reliability and cooperation in maintaining the relationship.
"Trust is the foundation of our partnership with Lockheed Martin. For years, our teams have worked side by side, delivering quality, value, and on-time performance with consistency and reliability," Berkovitz said.
"This shared commitment to excellence enables us to support critical programs, meet demanding requirements, and help ensure success for Lockheed Martin and its customers around the world."
Lockheed Martin also praised the Israeli company's performance.
Kyle Franklin, Vice President of Global Supply Chain at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said, "To be recognized as a recipient of both the Mission Focused and Ahead of Ready Supplier Awards is an outstanding achievement by IAI and a fitting testament to the hard work, dedication and commitment of a highly professional team."
IAI and Lockheed Martin have maintained a strategic partnership since the late 1980s, cooperating on the development and production of aircraft structures for major aerospace and defense programs.
As part of this partnership, IAI manufactures wings for the F-35 fighter jet at its dedicated wing assembly line.
The Israeli company has participated in the F-35 program since 2014 and reached a major production milestone in February 2026, when it delivered its 350th F-35 wing to Lockheed Martin.
IAI has also supplied major structural components for the F-16 fighter aircraft for more than 30 years, including wings, vertical fins, and conformal fuel tanks.
The conformal fuel tank system was jointly developed by IAI and Lockheed Martin, drawing on the engineering, manufacturing, and operational expertise of both companies.
Beyond the F-35 and F-16 programs, IAI supplies aircraft structures to customers around the world for both commercial and military aviation.
Its manufacturing capabilities include the production and assembly of complex composite and metallic structures using advanced technologies and established quality-control processes.
The latest awards underscore IAI's continuing role in major international defense aviation programs and the longstanding industrial cooperation between Israel and the United States.