Jay Clemens
Lockheed Martin has delivered 45 F-35 aircraft to the U.S. government and allied nations in 2015 under the $391 billion fighter jet project, Reuters reported Tuesday.
The Defense Department said Lockheed met its delivery goals for the year and the company is set to receive majority of related performance fees, Andrea Shalal reports.
“Meeting aircraft production goals is a critical stepping stone in demonstrating the program is ready for the expected significant production ramp up,” U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, F-35 program manager, told Reuters.
The F-35 program office said Lockheed delivered 26 F-35A jets to the Air Force, two F-35As to Norway, one F-35A for Italy, eight F-35B and four F-35C jets to the U.S Marine Corps, four F-35C jets to the U.S. Navy, according to the report.
Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems are among the suppliers for the F-35 program, while United Technologies Corp.‘ Pratt & Whitney currently builds engines for the fighter jets, Shalal reports.
