Lockheed Martin Wins Contract For Additional F-35 Stealth Aircraft For Australia

Aerospace giant Lockheed Martin received an $831 million contract modification to provide additional F-35A stealth aircraft to the government of Australia. The contract, which comes through the U.S. Navy will cover the production and delivery of 15 aircraft and their gear.

Work on this contract is projected to be completed by March 2023. The Australian government is looking to follow the U.S. in replacing their aging F-18 Hornet fleet with the new F-35As.

According to a report by Defense Blog, the F-35A will provide Australia with a 5th generation fighter that is at the forefront of aircraft technology. The Australian government did not just procure these aircraft as a partner in the program; they can produce parts and avionics for the aircraft, meaning that just about every F-35a that is built from here on out will contain some Australian components.

This is an outstanding development for a country that is closely allied with the United States. Having selected these aircraft and entering into a contract with the United States government, Australia will help to further America's network of sophisticated aircraft that have been provided to allies throughout the world. This makes for a seamless transition during any form of hostilities.

As for Lockheed, the company was awarded an additional $327.9 million contract to acquire material, parts and components to build 48 more F-35A Lightning aircraft for the U.S. Air Force. This is a continuous development as the U.S. phases out its other aging fighter aircraft and looks to the multi-role Joint Strike Fighter with stealth capabilities to lead the charge going into the future.

This also helps the U.S. military establish a global network of aircraft that can all use the same munitions, meaning no matter where the plane is deployed all of the weaponry available is usable on that aircraft. It is a smart arrangement that it cuts down on the logistics of needing to ship and maintain several different types of aircraft and weaponry. It looks like a win-win situation for Lockheed Martin, and as for the Australian contract, it will be handled out of Patuxent River, Maryland.