Pentagon Finalizes $4.7 Billion for 43 More F-35s

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The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin have finalized a $4.7 billion deal for 43 F-35 Lightning II aircraft including new fighters for the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy along with five planes for international partners.

The contract includes production and delivery of the aircraft, avionics, sensors and component technologies for the aircraft. The F-35 engines are procured separately through a Pentagon deal with Pratt & Whitney.

The new deal, called Low Rate Initial Production Lot 8, includes 19 F-35A airframes for the Air Force at $98 million each, six short-take-off-and-landing F-35Bs for the Marine Corps at $102 million and four carrier-launched F-35Cs for the Navy at $115 million, a Pentagon statement said. The cost estimates do not include the engine.

LRIP 8 also includes production of the first two Israeli F-35As and the first four F-35As for Japan, along with two F-35As for Norway and two F-35As for Italy. The United Kingdom will receive four F-35Bs.