Lockheed Martin begins assembly of 1,000th F-35 Lightning II fighter jet

BAE System has shipped the fuselage tail section for the F-35 Lightning II to the US. This allowed Lockheed Martin to begin assembling its 1,000th fifth-generation fighter jet.

Here's What We Know

BAE System is one of three major partners in the international F-35 Lightning II production programme, along with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. BAE produces the tail section of the fuselage. The Samlesbury-based facility has the capacity to produce 160 aircraft kits annually.

The facility has created 20,000 jobs. In total, the F-35 program will bring £41 billion to the United Kingdom's coffers, said Bridget Lauderdale, vice president of Lockheed Martin.

The F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation fighter that comes in three variants. The Air Force gets the standard F-35A. The Marine Corps uses the F-35B with short takeoff and vertical landing. The Navy operates the F-35C, which takes off using a catapult and lands using an air finisher. Assembly of the first aircraft began in 2005.

Source: UKDJ