Under the contract, Lockheed Martin is expected to deliver 432 modification packages for U.S. military services, Foreign Military Sales customers and other F-35 programme partners. The U.S. Air Force will receive 97 packages, the U.S. Marine Corps 54 and the U.S. Navy 42, while 106 will be delivered through the FMS process and the remaining packages will go to international programme partners.
According to the Department of War, full production funding was released at the time the contract was signed. The modification packages are intended to support upgrades to F-35 aircraft systems, including the electronic warfare suite.
The work is linked to efforts to bring older F-35 aircraft closer to the Block 4 configuration now being introduced into serial production. Block 4 is intended to expand the aircraft’s combat capability through a range of hardware and software improvements.
The F-35 programme remains one of the largest modern combat aircraft efforts. Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 1,330 production aircraft to 13 countries.
The global F-35 fleet has accumulated more than one million flight hours. Further programme milestones continue to be announced as production, deliveries and modernisation work continue across the international fleet.
