(ORDO NEWS) — The United States will develop a new version of the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet for an unnamed foreign customer. The work is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026.
The Pentagon has signed a $ 49 million contract with Lockheed Martin to develop a new version of the stealth F-35 aircraft for an unnamed American ally.
Most of the work on the new version of the F-35 will be done in Fort Worth, Texas. Some of them will be held in Redondo Beach (California), Orlando (Florida), Baltimore (Maryland), Ovego (New York) and the UK. All work is expected to be completed by December 2026.
The F-35 fighter comes in three main variants. The F-35A was created as an aircraft for the US Air Force and the bulk of the American allies participating in the program. This is the most technologically simple, cheapest and most popular version.
The F-35B was developed for the United States Marine Corps and the British Royal Navy. Its main distinguishing feature is the possibility of a short take-off and vertical landing.
The deck-based F-35C became the least massive variant. The aircraft has an increased wing and tail area, which allows it to maneuver at low speeds when flying from aircraft carriers.
Foreign customers of the F-35 receive generally standard variants, with the exception of Israel, which has its own version called the F-35I. It became a development of the F-35A with a significant amount of Israeli-made avionics.
In total, over 700 F-35 fighters of different versions were built over the entire period. The total number is estimated at more than three thousand cars.
Earlier this month, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced that it was suspending discussions on a multi-billion dollar deal with the United States to buy F-35 fighter jets amid US government pressure on the UAE not to do business with Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies.
Note that the United States is now actively working on the sixth generation of fighters: it is known that in the future, the Navy and the Air Force will receive new aircraft. The most important event in this regard can be considered the testing of a demonstrator of a promising aircraft, which became known last year. It was about a “full-scale demo” that “broke many records.”
—
Online:
Contact us: [email protected]
Our Standards, Terms of Use: Standard Terms And Conditions.