Lockheed Martin received $746.3 million to work on a contract to deliver F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to Switzerland

Switzerland last year joined the queue for US fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter jets. On the penultimate day of the 2023 fiscal year, Lockheed Martin was awarded a large contract that will help integrate the European country into the Joint Strike Fighter programme.

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The US Department of Defence website says the US company has been awarded nearly $746.3 million. The funding will help integrate Switzerland into the F-35 project as a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customer.

Switzerland announced the purchase of the aircraft September 2022. The European country will spend €6.035bn ($6.27bn) to buy 36 fifth-generation fighter jets in the F-35A variant. Deliveries will begin in 2027 and last until the end of the decade.

The F-35A Lightning II will be the replacement for the F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-5 Tiger. Along with the fifth-generation aircraft, Switzerland will receive ammunition, mission planning systems, a logistics package and support equipment. The contract also includes pilot training.

Source: Pentagon