Lockheed Poised to Get $11 Billion F-35 Contract Despite Delays
- Pentagon agency says 209 of 308 fighters ran late through June
- U.S. expects ‘better performance’ from Lockheed, official says
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Lockheed Martin Corp. continues to deliver its next-generation F-35 aircraft late because of production flaws, even as the Pentagon is poised to award the company a potential $11 billion contract that’s the biggest yet.
The contractor for the costliest U.S. weapons system has been “late to contract requirements” in providing 209 of 308 of the planes to U.S. and international customers through June 30, the Defense Contract Management Agency said in a statement to Bloomberg News. While Lockheed and the Pentagon’s F-35 program office said they expect on-time delivery of all 91 F-35s due this year, the contract agency predicted seven won’t make that deadline.