Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has been awarded an $861.7M contract modification to convert eight F-35A jets originally manufactured for Turkey into the U.S. Air Force configuration as a result of the Turkish government’s exit from the Joint Strike Fighter program.
USAF will also receive an additional six units of the conventional takeoff and landing variant as part of the modification awarded by the U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command, the Department of Defense said Monday.
All 14 aircraft are part of the F-35 program’s lot 14 production line.
USAF is obligating $848.9M at the time of award. The Pentagon expects work to be complete by May 2026.
Defense News reports the U.S. decided to prohibit Turkey from continuing participation in the program last year after the latter country accepted delivery of a Russian-made air defense system despite repeated warnings not to acquire the platform.
Turkey sought to buy 100 jets but it did not officially receive the initial aircraft that rolled off Lockheed’s assembly line at the time, according to the report.
