AFA 2020: Lockheed Martin projects fewer F-35 deliveries in 2020 due to Covid-19

Lockheed Martin is lowering delivery expectations in 2020 for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) to roughly 121 from 141 due to Covid-19 impacting suppliers, according to a company executive.

Greg Ulmer, Lockheed Martin F-35 vice-president and general manager, told Janes on 14 September during the Air Force Association’s (AFA’s) annual conference that aircraft unit prices will not be impacted if there are fewer aircraft delivered in 2020 than expected. Unit prices generally rise as aircraft procurement quantities decline. Lockheed Martin spokesman Brett Ashworth said on 15 September that those 121 deliveries estimated for 2020 would be for all aircraft variants: F-35A, F-35B, and F-35C. The company so far has delivered more than 555 F-35s.

Lockheed Martin is lowering delivery expectations in 2020 for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) to roughly 121 from 141 due to Covid-19 impacting suppliers, Lockheed Martin F-35 vice-president and general manager Greg Ulmer told Janes on 14 September. (US Air Force)

Ulmer also said Lockheed Martin in late June offered slightly fewer aircraft to the Pentagon for Lots 15-17. The company on 29 October 2019 contracted for 478 aircraft for Lots 12-14 as part of a USD34 billion deal that delivered Lot 14 unit prices at USD77.9 million for the F-35A, USD101.3 million for the F-35B, and USD94.4 million for the F-35C. He said that the company will watch to see if there is concern among all the customers about their budgets due to Covid-19.