Photo: Lockheed Martin
No one ever said building the world's most advanced multi-role jet would be easy or cheap. But the F-35 Lightning II program continues to rack up expenses faster than any military project seen in generations.
The bill for this aircraft is about to get a little bit longer as the Pentagon and Lockheed-Martin agreed to terms for a new multi-billion sustainment contract for the F-35.
With the production of the F-35 now in full swing, this contract aims to provide Lockheed-Martin with enough funding to maintain a fleet of as many as 3,000 aircraft both domestically and with the aircraft’s international collaborators.
Lockheed-Martin is well aware of the gargantuan cost overruns that have plagued the project from the very beginning and intends to reduce costs in as many ways as possible. Including while in the air and while in the hangar.
“Together with the F-35 Joint Program Office, we recognize the critical role the F-35 plays in supporting our customers’ global missions and the need to deliver this capability affordably,” remarked Bridget Lauderdale, vice president of Lockheed Martin and general manager of the F-35 program.
"Together with the F-35 Joint Program Office, we recognize the critical role the F-35 plays in supporting our customers’ global missions and the need to deliver this capability affordably.”
Lauderdale remarked how these contracts could potentially represent a more than 30% reduction in cost per flying hour from the 2020 sustainment contract. Lockheed-Martin hopes to reduce costs by a further 40% percent in the coming years as personnel becomes more and more acquainted with F-35 Technology.
The cost of this new contract is estimated to be over $6.5 billion over the next 12 months. Lockheed-Martin is due to re-negotiate another sustainment contract next year, as the one signed recently is set to expire at that time. It’s hoped that this process will lead to a longer-term Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) agreement for the F-35 program at some point down the line.
With the production of the F-35 now in full swing, this contract aims to provide Lockheed-Martin with enough funding to maintain a fleet of as many as 3,000 aircraft both domestically and with the aircraft’s international collaborators.
Lockheed-Martin is well aware of the gargantuan cost overruns that have plagued the project from the very beginning and intends to reduce costs in as many ways as possible. Including while in the air and while in the hangar.
“Together with the F-35 Joint Program Office, we recognize the critical role the F-35 plays in supporting our customers’ global missions and the need to deliver this capability affordably,” remarked Bridget Lauderdale, vice president of Lockheed Martin and general manager of the F-35 program.
"Together with the F-35 Joint Program Office, we recognize the critical role the F-35 plays in supporting our customers’ global missions and the need to deliver this capability affordably.”
Lauderdale remarked how these contracts could potentially represent a more than 30% reduction in cost per flying hour from the 2020 sustainment contract. Lockheed-Martin hopes to reduce costs by a further 40% percent in the coming years as personnel becomes more and more acquainted with F-35 Technology.
The cost of this new contract is estimated to be over $6.5 billion over the next 12 months. Lockheed-Martin is due to re-negotiate another sustainment contract next year, as the one signed recently is set to expire at that time. It’s hoped that this process will lead to a longer-term Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) agreement for the F-35 program at some point down the line.
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