The US Department of Defense has changed the terms of the contract with Lockheed Martin, implying the supply of 30 F-35 Lightning II fighters, reports Lenta.ru. Under the terms of the new agreement, the military should receive 31 F-35 fighters for 3.5 billion dollars. The previous terms of the contract stipulated payments for the aircraft in the amount of $ 5 billion.
The new contract provides for the supply of ten F-35A fighters to the US Air Force, 16 F-35Bs to the Marines and four F-35Cs to the Navy. Another F-35B will be delivered to the UK Department of Defense. The contract also includes an option to supply additional aircraft to the Dutch Ministry of Defense. After changes in the terms of the contract, the volume of orders for the F-35 small-scale production increased to 64 units.
The cost of one aircraft under the new agreement was $ 112.9 million. We will remind, in March 2010, the Pentagon estimated the cost of one aircraft at $ 113 million. The contract includes not only the supply of aircraft, but also their maintenance. Taking into account additional services, the deal is estimated at $ 3.9 billion.
The F-35 program is the most expensive project in the United States - the cost of the program is 382.4 billion dollars. At the same time, the creation of the aircraft is four years behind the original schedule. The US Department of Defense intends to demand compensation in the amount of $ 614 million from Lockheed Martin for the delay in development.
