WASHINGTON, October 26 — The U.S. Department of War and defense contractor Lockheed Martin have outlined a transformative framework agreement for the multiyear production and sustainment of the F-35 Lightning II fighter, in what would be the program’s largest procurement commitment in its 25-year history.
Unveiled on October 22, the framework covers at least 850 U.S. aircraft to be delivered over a decade, alongside initial spares, ten years of modification kits and fleet sustainment, and international customer orders spanning production Lots 21 through 30. The agreed production rate is 156 jets per year.
Under the terms, Lockheed Martin would invest at least 7 billion U.S. dollars of its own funds to expand capacity and strengthen the supply chain. The company estimates the program will support 317,000 American jobs and generate roughly 79 billion dollars in annual economic activity across the next ten years.
Crucially, the arrangement is not yet a formal contract. It remains contingent on the U.S. Congress granting multiyear procurement authority and appropriating the associated funds; news agency reporting has valued the potential deal at no less than 78 billion dollars. The F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin would then negotiate final pricing, schedules and terms.
More than 1,375 F-35s are currently fielded worldwide, with the fleet having surpassed one million flight hours and operating from 42 bases across 13 nations. As aging legacy aircraft retire and adversary capabilities advance, Pentagon planners describe the framework as central to preserving air dominance — though the program’s cost growth has long drawn scrutiny from lawmakers, who approved funding for only 47 airframes in the 2026 fiscal year.