Lockheed Martin won an important endorsement for its F-35 Lightning II fighter jet program Monday as the government of Japan selected the high-tech aircraft to be that nation’s next-generation warplane.
Japan is the first nation to commit to buying the F-35 after evaluating it in a competition with existing aircraft, the Boeing F/A-18 and Eurofighter Typhoon.The announcement was a welcome piece of good news for Lockheed executives, the workers that will build the aircraft and even the U.S. government. The decade-old Joint Strike Fighter program has been plagued with delays, technical problems and cost overruns and has come under increased scrutiny and criticism.“It is a good day,” said Steve O’Bryan, Lockheed’s vice president for F-35 program integration and business development. “The Japan selection, to me, proves the F-35 and our team here in Fort Worth is second to none.”The F-35's final assembly is done in Fort Worth.O'Bryan said that the F-35 was the “clear choice for Japan’s next-generation fighter” and that the fact that it was chosen after a thorough competition was a “real vote of confidence. They selected the F-35 as the best aircraft to counter the ongoing threats in that part of the world.”Government officials announced the decision, which had been widely expected for a couple of weeks, following a meeting early Tuesday in Japan.Japan is expected to buy 40 to 50 jets for as much as $8 billion.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
