Lockheed Martin will receive up to $30 billion to supply up to 398 F-35 Lightning II fighters to the US and allies in Europe

The United States Department of Defense announced the signing of a contract with Lockheed Martin for the supply of

fifth generation fighters F-35 Lightning II. Customers are the USA and three European countries.

What is known

The contract provides for the supply of up to 398fighters for the United States, Belgium, Poland and Finland, i.e. 23 aircraft more than planned last summer. Its maximum value is $30 billion.

We finalized the Lot 15-17 contract with our partners for 398 F-35s. This contract ensures that the F-35 remains the cornerstone of allied fleets worldwide.

— F-35 Lightning II (@thef35) December 30, 2022

However, the agreement guarantees the supply of onlybatches Lot 15 and Lot 16 - 145 and 127 fighters, respectively. An option for Lot 17 allows an additional 126 aircraft to be added to the F-35 Lightning II.

Air Force Lieutenant General Mike Schmidtstated that fifth-generation fighters are capable of providing unrivaled capabilities for military personnel and operational command. According to him, the new contract worth up to $30 billion is beneficial for American taxpayers, military services and US allies.