FOREIGN INVESTORS WILL BEEF UP F-35 PROGRAM

As you will read below, the F-35 Program is alive and well. As the world changes and the way we defend our country and interest around the world changes, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and our Special Forces will be our tip of our spear in meeting our needs in defending our country. As Lockheed has noted, the present reduction in F-35’s by the U.S will be made up by some of our allies. What should be noted is the training of these pilots and maintainers will be at 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB. So I say, be prepared to walk the streets and enjoy the many new cultures, who will be enjoying what we have to offer them; and don’t be surprised they tell the rest of the world about our Emerald Coast treasure.

Lockheed: Foreign investors will offset F-35 program
DUSTY RICKETTS / Daily News
2012-02-04 17:07:39

FORT WALTON BEACH — Eglin Air Force Base may be able to boast the largest F-35 fleet in the world, but the Joint Strike Fighter is most certainly a global project. Representatives from Lockheed Martin’s F-35 team met with local media recently to present a program-wide update on the Joint Strike Fighter. The $50 billion development program for the U.S. government is being offset by more than $35 billion in investments from foreign countries. The United Kingdom, Netherlands, Italy, Australia, Turkey, Canada and Norway are partner countries that have contributed to the development of the F-35 and have been involved with the program since 2002. The seven countries have committed to buying a total of about 800 of the jets. “That means since this is the only maintenance training base for the F-35, (Eglin) will be hosting all seven countries,” said Stephen O’Bryan, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 program integration. “You have a significant amount of international commitment to the program, and obviously you have the three services which will have jets and all three versions will be down here this year.” The U.K. and the Netherlands will be the first partners to receive its jets at Eglin. All F-35s coming out of Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth-based aeronautics center next year are expected to remain in the United States. In 2014, F-35s will be delivered to Italy and Australia, followed by more deliveries to the U.K. and Turkey in 2015. Japan, Norway and Israel will get them in 2016, along with Canada in 2017 and Denmark in 2018. Although they have not helped fund the development of the F-35, Israel, Singapore, Japan and South Korea have agreed to purchase Joint Strike Fighters, O’Bryan said. In addition to the $65 million price tag for each jet, those countries will pay a recoupment fee to help make up some of the program’s development costs. O’Bryan said Israel, Singapore, Japan and South Korea were expected to order more F-35s than the seven partner countries that contributed to the program’s development. Construction is ongoing in Italy on its $1 billion Final Assembly and Checkout Facility. The project is designed to take the parts completed in Fort Worth and finish the final 20 percent of assembly on the Italian F-35s.