Lockheed Awarded $3.6B for F-35 Support

The Pentagon awarded $3.63 billion to Lockheed Martin as a modification to an existing contract to fund ongoing logistical support for F-35 jets, for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, and foreign military operators of the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. The funds will cover a wide range of services and activities through 2026, including ground maintenance, “action request solution,” depot activities, automatic logistics information system operations and maintenance, reliability and maintainability, and supply-chain management.

Lockheed is the prime contractor for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, which has more than 1,600 total suppliers, including major manufacturers like BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, and Pratt & Whitney.

The single-engine, Stealth-enabled aircraft is deployed for ground attack and combat, and available in three variants. More than 1,200 of the fighter jets have been completed and delivered to the USAF, USMC, USN, and defense forces in about a dozen other nations.

The F-35 is the largest and most expensive U.S. defense program, with Lockheed subject to steady scrutiny for cost overruns and the readiness of aircraft for service.

F-35 maintenance is a matter of much concern to the three service branches operating the fighters. Recently a Pentagon inspector general reported that the aircraft failed to meet performance requirements, and that the average availability rate for 2024 was only about 50%.

The new modification also covers pilot training, maintainer training, and training system sustainment.

The originating contact from July 2024 (which was not competitively bid) is an ongoing agreement with a maximum potential value of $16.7 billion.

The funds will cover work performed at Lockheed locations in Fort Worth, Tex., Orlando, Fla., Greenville, S.C., Marietta, Georgia, (4%); and Palmdale, California (2%), and is expected to be completed in December 2026.