The Pentagon has finalized a $34 billion contract with F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin to buy 478 jets across the next three low-rate initial production lots. F-35 Program Executive Officer Lt. Gen. Eric Fick told reporters today the deal represents a 12.8% average unit cost reduction across all three F-35 variants from LRIP lots 11 to 14, and puts the per-plane cost at $79 million in Lot 13, representing the first time the jet’s cost has dropped below the program's...
