Lockheed Martin is running about three months behind the latest schedule with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. At least that’s the figure Australian defense minister Brendan Nelson has been given. Nelson also tells reporters that the delay “is negligible as far as Lockheed Martin is concerned.”
Australia isn’t particularly perturbed by the delay. The country bought 24 F/A-18E/Fs to help bridge any potential combat aircraft shortage the retirement of F-111s in 2010 could spell. Australia plans to field JSFs in 2013 and is now negotiating price and exact schedule.
Australian F-111 performing its spectacular fuel burn display routine at Avalon in February. Any combat aircraft shortages the F-111's retirement in 2010 could spell are to be bridged by the procurement of 24 F/A-18E/Fs. Photo: Australian Defense Dept.
For more details on talks between LockMart and some of the international JSF customers, there’s an article from Aviation Week’s Amy Butler in today’s Aerospace Daily on the so called Lightning Strike program to get early buy in from non-U.S. customers. Here’s the top:
A tiger team consisting of Lockheed Martin executives and stakeholders from each Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) partner nation will conduct its first meeting next month to explore the particulars of a collective international buy, according to Dan Crowley, the company’s F-35 vice president. Through that effort, called Lightning Strike, Lockheed Martin hopes to secure commitments for 100 aircraft through 2011 and an additional 1,300 (including 800 for the U.S. and another 500 from partner nations) thereafter.
