NEARLY 400 F-35s TO BE BUILT IN NEW $30BN DEAL

摘要

THE F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin rounded off 2022 by finalizing a $30bn contract for the production and delivery of up to 398 F-35s for US and foreign military sales customers under Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lots 15-17. Announced on December 30, this newly signed agreement will see Lockheed Martin produce 145 F-35s under LRIP Lot 15 and 127 aircraft in LRIP Lot 16. The deal comes with an option to produce and deliver a further 126 F-35s under LRIP Lot 17 and will include the first examples of the fifth-generation multi-role stealth fighter for Belgium, Finland and Poland. On November 14, 2022, the Belgian Ministry of Defense revealed that production of its first F-35A had started at Lockheed Martin's facility in Fort Worth, Texas.