Lockheed Martin wants to sign a contract this year to produce hundreds of new fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighters

The US company Lockheed Martin intends to sign a contract for the production of two batches of fifth generation fighters F-35 Lightning II. This was announced by CEO Greg Ulmer.

Here's What We Know

Lockheed Martin is in talks with the Joint Program Office to sign a contract to produce the 18th and 19th batches of F-35 fighters. Greg Ulmer said the deal could be concluded by the end of 2023.

The number of fighters is not specified, but we are talking about hundreds of planes. At the same time, Greg Ulmer stressed that the contract will support Lockheed Martin's goal to deliver 156 fighter planes annually starting from 2025.

The US Department of Defense began preparing for production of the 18th batch last year. The Pentagon in December awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth about $1 billion to buy parts with a long lead time for the 18th batch.

Lockheed Martin and the Pentagon also agreed to produce up to 398 fighter jets worth up to $30 billion in late 2022. The deal includes the 15th batch, the 16th batch and an option for the 17th batch. Whether the new agreement will include an option for a 20th batch has not yet been specified.

Source: Breaking Defense