Price Tag For Next Round Of Lighting II Airplanes Nearly $4 Billion

The Department of Defense is said to be near a deal with Lockheed Martin Corp for the next batch of 43 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters that would be worth nearly $4 billion.

Reuters reports that sources think an announcement could come within weeks, and perhaps in days.

There is also some speculation about a deal for 84 engines from Pratt & Whitney estimated to be worth about $1 billion, but the company and DoD are still working to determine what caused an engine failure that led the a fleet grounding earlier this year.

Orlando Carvalho, executive vice president of Lockheed's aeronautics division, told Reuters that the negotiations were in their "endgame," and that the deal should close "shortly." Negotiations are already underway for the ninth and tenth batches of F-35s according to Carvalho, which would add 154 airplanes to the fleet.

Rear Admiral Randy Mahr, F-35 deputy program director, also told Reuters that a deal for the airplanes could be finalized quickly, followed by a deal with the engine manufacturer once those issues have been resolved.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.f35.com