Pentagon awards Lockheed $12.5B for Lots 18–19 — up to 296 F‑35s, deliveries begin 2026

The Department of Defense has awarded Lockheed Martin a $12.5 billion contract modification covering Lots 18 and 19 of the F‑35 programme, funding production of up to 296 aircraft for the US Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy and Foreign Military Sales partners. First deliveries to US and international customers begin in 2026.

Discovered 2025-09-29T15:31:57.840798-07:00 | 2025-09-29T15:31:57.840798-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • Contract scale and timing: a $12.5 billion modification for Lots 18–19 covers up to 296 F‑35s, with first deliveries to US services and FMS partners slated to begin in 2026 — a material input to near‑term program budgets and production planning.
  • Program demand and export footprint: the award underpins continuing global demand for the F‑35 and will shape export flows and partner acquisitions as allied air forces grow or refresh fleets; see how Lockheed has reported robust export interest in recent months (growing export demand).
  • Supply chain and sustainment implications: the Lots 18–19 buy increases workload for OEM and supplier lines and reinforces the need for regional maintenance and logistics hubs as partners expand fleets (non‑operators exploring on‑base F‑35 maintenance hubs).

References: https://hype.aero/?story=b153e3d1-88fe-489d-8cd2-0b7ee2ff197e, https://hype.aero/?story=266373a2-e2cb-4126-bfce-1f7c39217f88, https://hype.aero/?story=4c5fd96a-0f1d-4541-91a7-f8bdca57d544

Reported By

defensa.com militarywatchmagazine.com avionews.it theaviationgeekclub.com aerobuzz.fr savunmasanayist.com
Sources Tracked
59
First Seen
2025-09-29T15:31:57.840798-07:00
Latest Update
2025-10-05T15:09:01.897495-07:00
Coverage
Defense

Sources

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