Pentagon Gives Lockheed Martin $10Mln to Reduce F-35 Costs

Sputnik — US defense giant Lockheed Martin is being awarded a contract to reduce costs on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, the Department of Defense said in a press release.

"Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded  $10,392,093 to a previously awarded contract for affordability-based cost reduction initiatives in support of low-rate initial production of Lot 9 F-35 Lightening II Joint Strike Fighter," the release explained.

Reduction initiatives can include improved machine tooling and shortened assembly instructions, according to published reports. Automation of labor such as robotic injection molding of thick build coatings instead of spraying by hand reduces costs.

Work will be performed in the US states of Texas, California, Florida, New Hampshire, and Maryland. Additional efforts will take place in the United Kingdom and Japan.