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US DoD awards first block-buy for F-3530 October 2019The agreement includes the 291 United States, 127 international partner, and 60 Foreign Military Sales (FMS) aircraft in Lots 12, 13, and 14. These orders comprise 351 conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) variant F-35As, 86 short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35Bs, and 41 carrier-variant (CV) F-35Cs.As noted by the Joint Program Office (JPO) and Lockheed Martin, this block buy brings the cost of the F-35A down from in excess of USD250 million in Lot 1 to USD77.9 million in Lot 14.
Singapore gets the green light to buy F-35sThe U.S. State Department endorsement made Jan. 9 would allow Singapore to move ahead with purchasing those jets, at an estimated cost of $2.75 billion, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.Also included in the proposed deal are up to 13 Pratt & Whitney F135 engines, unspecified electronic warfare and communications systems, training equipment, and the Autonomic Logistics Information System used for mission planning, maintenance and other logistics functions.
Poland signs F-35 deal31 January 2020Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak signed a USD4.6 billion contract for 32 F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft on 31 January at the 4th Training Aviation Wing Headquarters in Dęblin.This is the second-most expensive acquisition of high-technology military equipment by the Polish Armed Forces after the USD4.7 billion deal for the MIM-104F Patriot surface-to-air missile system signed in March 2018.
F-35 deliveries could slow down, as COVID-19 jolts Lockheed’s supply chainThe company now projects its total sales for 2020 will amount to anywhere from $62.25 billion to $64 billion dollars — down from the the $62.75 billion to $64.25 billion it had previously estimated in January.< snipped >Lockheed’s acknowledgement of COVID-19 related challenges comes a day after the Pentagon disclosed schedule delays across its major weapons acquisition efforts, with aviation programs hit particularly hard by the effects of the pandemic.< snipped >Despite the challenges in keeping F-35 production smooth, there has been little change to other aspects of the program, Possenriede said. Development and follow-on modernization activities have continued with “little to no impact.”And while Lockheed contractors have faced some barriers reporting to work at certain bases where they help perform repairs or stand up maintenance operations, Possenriede said there has been minimal impact to F-35 sustainment.
12 June 2020 00:00 GMT+0Denmark begins F-35 preparationsWith the RDAF set to receive the first of its 27-contracted F-35As in 2021, the Danish parliament on 11 June approved legislation to build dedicated facilities at Skveststrup Flyvestation in Southern Jutland ahead of the commencement of type-operations there in 2023.< snipped >As noted by the MoD, as well as instigating construction work of new F-35 facilities, the adoption of the Civil Aviation Administration Skrydstrup Act activates a compensation scheme for local residents set to be affected by future F-35 aircraft noise in the area. “A broad political majority consisting of the Left, Conservatives, the Danish People’s Party, the Liberal Alliance, the Radical Left, and the Social Democracy is behind the political agreement to compensate approximately 1,600 homes in the area of the additional noise the F-35 aircraft brings in comparison to the current F-16,” the MoD said.
