Overview
- The Pentagon and Lockheed announced Thursday that they agreed a framework guaranteeing a floor of 850 F-35s to be procured over the next ten years, with formal contracts and funding still needing U.S. Congressional approval.
- Lockheed has pledged at least $7 billion to expand factories and logistics and set a production goal of about 156 jets per year to lower unit costs and provide spare parts, upgrades and sustainment for the fleet.
- The deal covers more than aircraft purchases by including spare parts, upgrade kits and maintenance services so the Pentagon and partner customers would receive long‑term sustainment planning.
- Critics point to continuing concerns about life‑cycle costs, a cited flight‑hour rate above $36,000, software and integration issues, and national worries in countries such as Denmark and Canada about dependence on U.S. control and underestimated budgets.
- The F-35 remains widely exportable and combat‑tested, with over a thousand aircraft in service worldwide, a supplier base that supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, and potential effects on allied procurement choices and industrial policy as countries weigh costs and sovereignty.