WASHINGTON – The Pentagon plans to buy at least 850 additional Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets in what would be the biggest contract in the programme’s quarter-century history that signals the stealth warplane will remain a major part of the US arsenal for many years.
The contract, which is not yet final, also includes procurement of initial spare parts and modification kits, plus sustainment of the global F-35 fleet over 10 years, the defence Department said in a statement on Oct 22.
The Pentagon statement did not provide a value for the contract. The jet, which has three variants, costs about US$100 million (S$128 million) each. Lockheed Martin will self-fund “at least US$7 billion in initiatives that support” the programme, the Pentagon added.
The framework is intended to stabilise prices, ensure adequate spare parts supplies and improve reliability in the face of emerging threats like artificial intelligence and drones.
Many US fourth-generation jets, like the F-15s and F-16s, have been in service for decades and will be retired before the next generation F-47 and F/A-XX aircraft are in production.
The renewed award is a vote of confidence in the F-35, after the aircraft became a prime target of criticism under President Donald Trump. Elon Musk said in late 2024 that “some idiots are still building manned fighter jets like the F-35” in a new era of warfare focused on autonomous flight.
Previous F-35 contracts have been finalised in “blocks” typically of three years, but Lockheed Martin, which 25 years ago in October won a contest with Boeing to build the fighter, has for years sought a larger, multi-year contract because it almost guarantees – subject to annual congressional appropriations – a stable revenue stream and orders for hundreds of subcontractors.
In this case, the framework calls for producing 156 jets per year over a decade. The US approved in 2026 similar deals to increase production of critical munitions such as air defence interceptors.
“We have fundamentally changed how we stabilise the American defence industrial base to produce at speed and scale,” Undersecretary for Acquisition Michael Duffey said in a statement on Oct 22. “This agreement with Lockheed Martin proves it.”
Lockheed Martin president and CEO Jim Taiclet said in a statement that “with the greater certainty that comes from the US government’s transformative approach to F-35 production and sustainment, we can make the upfront investments needed to expand capacity, improve efficiency, and build a more resilient supply chain”.
“In the coming months, the F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin will work to finalise contract terms, pricing and schedules through a formal contract award,” the company said.
Upgrades jack up costs
The US midterm elections in just a few weeks might give Democrats control of Congress, however, which may change spending plans as new lawmakers take up budgets.
The F-35 programme has been hampered by repeated instances of low combat readiness or “mission capable rates” and major delays delivering a new software and hardware upgrade called TR3.
The cost of the warplane programme – already the most expensive in US history – has risen by about US$51 billion, or roughly 10%, since late 2023 because of software, readiness, spare parts and engine power improvements.
More than 1,375 F-35s are in service with militaries around the world – most with the US – and the fleet has surpassed a million flight hours. The warplane has also flown numerous missions during the war with Iran.
The F-35 “is the foundation of the Air Force’s fighter force structure”, the service said in a report to Congress on Oct 16 on the service’s long-range fighter plans.
Lockheed Martin “continues to produce and modernise F-35s for the Air Force but is currently delivering aircraft with significant combat system gaps”, according to the report, obtained by Bloomberg News.
Boeing was chosen to build both the F-47 and F/A-XX, while Northrop Grumman is producing the next-generation US bomber, the B-21 Raider. BLOOMBERG