The U.S. Dept. of Defense F-35 Joint Program Office agreed with the Lockheed Martin industry team to “rebaseline” the aircraft’s production schedule to achieve “predictability and stability in the production process while recovering the aircraft shortfall realized over the last year during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Under the new terms, Lockheed and the F-35 supplier network it leads will deliver 133-139 aircraft this year, rather than 169 as previously agreed.
For 2022, Lockheed will deliver 151-153 aircraft, and in 2023 and for the foreseeable future it will deliver 156 aircraft annually.
The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter is a single-engine, Stealth-enabled aircraft designed for deployment for ground attack and combat, and available in three variants: F-35A, for conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL); F-35B, for short take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL); and the F-35C carrier-based variant for Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) variant.
To date, over 700 F-35s have been delivered and are operating from 21 bases worldwide by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and more than a dozen allied defense forces.
