The US Pentagon has announced a $7.79 billion deal with Lockheed Martin for 128 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets. The deal is for 126 F-35 aircraft from batch 17 and includes 81 F-35A aircraft (43 for the US Air Force, eight for Finland, seven for Italy, six for the Netherlands, six for Poland, four for Japan, four for Belgium and three for Denmark.
It also involves 26 F-35B aircraft (15 for the US Marine Corps, seven for Britain, two for Italy and two for Japan). and 19 F-35Cs (13 for the US Navy and six for the US Marine Corps), the US Department of Defense said in an official statement.
The order for the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons system is expected to be completed in August 2026. Last year, the Defense Department agreed with Lockheed Martin to build about 375 F-35s over three years in a deal worth $30 billion.
