Lockheed Martin has received a US$3.5 billion contract modification from the US Department of Defense to manufacture 31 F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters in the fourth lot of low-rate initial production (LRIP).
The contract also funds manufacturing support equipment, flight test instrumentation and ancillary mission equipment.
Including the long-lead funding previously received, the total contract value for LRIP 4 is $3.9 billion.
Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will produce 10 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variants for the US Air Force, 16 F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing variants for the US Marine Corps, four F-35C carrier variants for the US Navy and one F-35B for the UK.
Additionally, the Netherlands has the option to procure one F-35A.
The LRIP 4 order is in addition to 31 F-35s contracted under LRIPs 1-3, three of which have already exited Lockheed Martin’s factory in Fort Worth.
Nineteen test aircraft also have rolled out.
The US and eight nations partnering in the project plan to acquire more than 3,100 F-35 fighters, and Israel recently announced plans to purchase the jet.