The Pentagon has established a manufacturing target of 156 aircraft per year with its primary supplier to clear bottlenecks in the supply chain. Under the newly proposed arrangement, Lockheed Martin will invest at least $7 billion of its own capital to support the production of a minimum of 850 F-35 fighter jets over the next 10 years, a plan that also includes coverage for international orders.
While earlier reporting suggested the contract was finalized, the current agreement is preliminary and not yet a firm order. The execution of the pact remains subject to available funding and approval from Congress. If implemented, the deal aims to stabilize the growth of the fighter fleet and shift a portion of program initiatives’ costs from the government to the contractor.
