Buying More F-35s

May 4, 2016

The Pentagon awarded Lockheed Martin a $1.27 billion not-to-exceed undefinitized modification to a previously awarded F-35 low-rate initial production contract, according to a contract announcement. The modification will provide for the delivery of three F-35As for the Air Force, six F-35Bs for the Marine Corps, and four F-35Cs for the Navy, the announcement states. Work is expected to be finished by December 2019. The contract modification provides for aircraft added in the Fiscal 2016 budget deliberations process, and combines F-35 buys for the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps.

Related Content

U.S. Puts 8,500 Troops on Alert for Europe Deployment

Jan. 24, 2022
The U.S. military told 8,500 troops in the continental U.S. to prepare to deploy to Europe for a potential Ukraine contingency within five days, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby announced Jan. 24. These troops would be the U.S. contribution to a 40,000-member NATO Response Force being organized in response…

Air Forces Africa Gears up to Extend Its Reach

Jan. 24, 2022
AFRICAN AIR CHIEFS SYMPOSIUM, KIGALI, Rwanda—The tyranny of distance is the oft-spoken biggest challenge for African air forces in a continent more than three times the size of the United States. But Air Forces Africa hopes a conference with 30 partner nations will shrink the distance by building trust to…

DAF’s New Data and AI Officer Envisions Digital Fluency, Seamless Environments

Jan. 24, 2022
The one-star taking over data and artificial intelligence for the Department of the Air Force knows what to prioritize in his new Pentagon job in part thanks to his experience outside the military. In the business world, “the ability to make decisions is the critical advantage—that’s what separates the winners…

Yes, You Can Attend AFA’s Warfare Symposium–⁠DOD Misspoke

Jan. 24, 2022
The Defense Department now says military members can indeed attend conferences in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, correcting a statement made last week by Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby. The Air Force Association continues to plan a full, in-person 2022 AFA Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla., March 2-4.…

Here’s What You Need to Know About Budget Delays and Defense Programs

Jan. 24, 2022
The fiscal year 2022 budget will enter its fifth month under a continuing resolution in February, the product of a record-setting latest ever budget release by the Biden administration in May 2021. Meanwhile, the president’s fiscal year 2023 budget request is unlikely to meet a Feb. 7 deadline, hampering the…

Dyess B-1Bs Fly 31-Hour Mission in Exercise With Japanese F-16s

Jan. 21, 2022
Three B-1B Lancers from the 7th Bomb Wing flew over the Indo-Pacific alongside F-16s from the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force as part of a joint large force exercise. The mission began and ended in the continental U.S. The bombers flew 31 hours and landed Jan. 11. 

Top Aces Tests Adversary F-16’s New Aggressor Suite

Jan. 21, 2022
Adversary services company Top Aces has begun testing an F-16 equipped with a suite of gear aimed at giving fifth-generation Air Force fighters a more realistic sparring partner. By the end of the year, the company expects to have 29 former Israeli F-16s in the U.S., most equipped with the…

More Eyes on GEO: Space Force Adds Two Space Surveillance Satellites

Jan. 21, 2022
Two satellites set forth to geosynchronous Earth orbit Jan. 21 to join a constellation of four others surveilling the high satellite belt. Collecting data for the National Space Defense Center and “other national users” will “enhance our ability to navigate freely and safely within the GEO belt” while helping to better…