![]() Congress has also added back some of the jets the services did not request. Making up for some of the deferral of purchases, though, has been strong international sales of the F-35. The Air Force has requested fewer F-35s in the last couple of years, saying it prefers to wait for the all-up Block 4 model of the jet in order to avoid modifying older aircraft to the more capable configuration later. When the “handshake deal” on the three lots was announced in July 2022, Pentagon acquisition and sustainment chief William LaPlante said it was “based on” as many as 375 jets.Įither way, however, deliveries are declining-the Lot 12-14 deal, inked in 2019, covered 478 aircraft. ![]() The open-ended Lot 17 allows for 23 more jets than the Pentagon originally planned. The agreement calls for 145 aircraft in Lot 15, 127 aircraft in Lot 16, and up to 126 in Lot 17, which will include the first airplanes delivered to Belgium, Finland, and Poland. The deal, which defines production for Lots 15 and 16 and sets options for Lot 17, calls for 398 F-35s to be built over the three years, including foreign orders.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |