Lockheed Martin Corp exceded its 2019 target to deliver 131 F-35 jets to the United States and its allies
Lockheed Martin, the American aerospace and defense company, announced that it had exceeded its year-end delivery goal of 134 F-35 jets to the United States and its allies in 2019.
In 2019, the company delivered 81aircraft to the US military, 30 to international partners and 23 to Foreign Military Sales customers, according to a company release. The company recorded a 47 percent increase from 2018.
Next year, Lockheed Martin plans to deliver 141 F-35s as the company claimed to continue to improve efficiencies and reduce costs.
“This achievement is a testament to the readiness of the full F-35 enterprise to ramp to full-rate production and we continue to focus on improving on-time deliveries across the entire weapons system,” said Greg Ulmer, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager of the F-35 program.
“The F-35 is the most capable fighter jet in the world, and we’re now delivering the 5th Generation weapon system at a cost equal to or lower than a less capable 4th Generation legacy aircraft.”
– Lockheed Martin vice president
The defense company has managed to lower the cost of an F-35A to $77.9 million.
Today, there are more than 490 aircraft operating from 21 bases around the globe that have surpassed 240,000 cumulative flight hours. A total of eight countries have F-35s operating from a base on home soil while eight services have declared Initial Operating Capability and four services have employed F-35s in combat operations.
Lockheed is aircraft’s primary contractor, along with Pratt & Whitney supplying the F-135 engine and BAE Systems providing the electronic warfare systems.
