Pentagon, Lockheed Martin seal 10-year deal for 850 F-35 jets | Daily Sabah – Daily Sabah

Pentagon, Lockheed Martin seal 10-year deal for 850 F-35 jets | Daily Sabah  Daily Sabah

The Pentagon and U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin announced a decade-long agreement Thursday to produce 850 F-35 fighter jets, reinforcing… The Pentagon and U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin announced a decade-long agreement Thursday to produce 850 F-35 fighter jets, reinforcing Washington's commitment to the advanced stealth aircraft program and its long-term military aviation capabilities. The two sides did not specify a value for the agreement, which comes as the Pentagon seeks to strike multi-year deals to expand American weapons production and boost the U.S. defense industrial base. The announcement "cements (the plane's) role as the free world's key frontline fighter for years ahead," Lockheed Chairman, President and CEO Jim Taiclet said on a call with investors.

F-35s – which Washington's forces have used in combat during the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran – come in three versions that can cost more than $100 million per plane. The "framework agreement," which the Pentagon said would "modernize and expand" the F-35 program, still requires congressional approval and funding. "We have fundamentally changed how we stabilize the American defense industrial base to produce at speed and scale," top acquisition official Michael Duffey said in the Pentagon's announcement. "By aligning financial incentives with actual performance, we are ensuring our warfighters are equipped with the lethal capabilities they need to fight and win," Duffy said. The