Lockheed Martin Wins $218Mln F-35 Jet Logistics Contract

The Department of Defense said that the US Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin with a more than $218 million contract to provide logistics support and sustainment services for F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin with a more than $218 million contract to provide logistics support and sustainment services for F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, the Department of Defense said in a press release.

"Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company [of] Fort Worth, Texas is being awarded $218,729,862 for [a] modification… contract for recurring logistics support and sustainment services for F-35 Lightning II aircraft," the release said on Friday.

The aircraft being supported and serviced will be operated by the US Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, non-Department of Defense participants and foreign military sales customers, the release explained.

"Sustainment services to be provided include ground maintenance activities; action request resolution; depot activation activities; Automatic Logistics Information System operations and maintenance; reliability, maintainability… [and] supply chain management," the Defense Department said.

The F-35 is the most expensive military aircraft and weapons system in history with an estimated eventual overall cost well in excess of $1 trillion.