The Department of War and Lockheed Martin have finalised a 10-year framework agreement to strengthen the F-35 Lightning II fleet. The deal sets a long-term procurement signal to modernise and expand America’s fifth-generation tactical aircraft. Congress must still authorise the agreement and appropriate the funds before it takes effect, according to the Department of War.
Minimum order and private investment
The framework guarantees a minimum of 850 U.S. aircraft over the decade. It also covers initial spare parts, modification kits and sustainment of the global F-35 fleet. In return for that commitment, Lockheed Martin will self-fund at least $7 billion in initiatives supporting the programme.
The department says the deal aligns financial incentives with performance. It also integrates hardware requirements across the supply chain, which it says maximises purchasing power and delivers economies of scale.
Acquisition reform
Officials describe the agreement as a milestone for the department’s Acquisition Transformation Strategy. The strategy aims to build industrial base resilience through long-term procurement visibility and rapid private capital investment.
“We have fundamentally changed how we stabilize the American defense industrial base to produce at speed and scale,” said Under Secretary of War Michael P. Duffey. “This agreement with Lockheed Martin proves it.”
Duffey said tying incentives to results will ensure warfighters receive the capabilities they need to fight and win.
The F-35 remains the backbone of U.S. and allied tactical air power. A decade of stable demand gives Lockheed Martin and its suppliers a firmer base for production planning and investment.
Learn more on the U.S. DoW website
