WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The Defense Department explained the modification provides additional funding for long-lead time materials, parts, components, and effort for production of five additional low-rate initial production Lot 12 F-35B Lightning II aircraft.
"Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company [of] Fort Worth, Texas is being awarded a… $43,974,520 modification… contract," the release said on Monday.
The expected $1.2 to 1.5 trillion F-35 program has suffered from many problems. The jet takes too long to repair, the parts are frequently inadequate and the service is having issues coordinating the delivery of parts to the right bases in a timely fashion, the Defense Department’s Office to Testing Design and Evaluation told Congress in testimony said last week.
