F-35 continues to be the choice of air forces
across Europe
FORT
WORTH, Texas, Dec. 14,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The German Ministry of Defense
announced today it is procuring 35 Lockheed Martin 5th Generation
F-35 Lightning II aircraft.
"Congratulations to Germany on
procuring the F-35A. Germany is the ninth foreign military
sales country to join the program," said Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt, F-35 Program Executive Officer.
"We look forward to working with them to deliver the F-35 Air
System to meet their national defense requirements."
The agreement includes a comprehensive package of engines,
role-specific mission equipment, spare and replacement parts,
technical and logistic support, training and armament.
"It is an honor to formally welcome Germany to the F-35 Lightning II Program.
Germany's participation ensures
the F-35's European alliance continues to strengthen and grow
through interoperability with NATO and ally nations," said
Bridget Lauderdale, Lockheed
Martin's vice president and general manager of the F-35 program.
"The F-35 is the most advanced, survivable, best value fighter
giving pilots the critical advantage against any adversary,
enabling them to execute their mission and safely return home."
Lockheed Martin has been a committed partner to the Bundeswehr
for more than 50 years, and the F-35 opens another chapter of
supporting Germany's interests for
national and European security. By the 2030s, it is expected that
over 550 F-35s will work together from more than 10 European
countries, including two full U.S. F-35 squadrons at RAF
Lakenheath.
As a cornerstone for interoperability with NATO, the F-35 is the
only 5th Generation fighter available today to strengthen
Germany's operational capability
with allies. Connectivity has become increasingly more important as
the battlespace continues to evolve, and the F-35 is positioned to
play a critical role in that change and contribute to
21st Century Security missions.
To date, the F-35 operates from 26 bases worldwide, with nine
nations operating F-35s on their home soil. There are more than 875
F-35s in service today, with more than 1,845 pilots and 13,350
maintainers trained on the aircraft.
For additional information, visit www.f35.com.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda,
Maryland, Lockheed Martin (NYSE:
LMT) is a global security and aerospace company that employs
approximately 114,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged
in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and
sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and
services.
Please follow @LMNews on Twitter for the latest
announcements and news across the corporation.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/germany-becomes-latest-country-to-join-the-f-35-lightning-ii-global-team-301703188.html
SOURCE Lockheed Martin Aeronautics