U.S. orders components for 94 F-35s

WASHINGTON, June 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Defense is awarding Lockheed Martin a $920.3 million advance acquisition contract for long lead time items for F-35 fighters.

The materials, parts and components are for the manufacture of 94 F-35A Lightning II low-rate initial production aircraft -- 44 F-35As for the U.S. Air Force, two each for Italy and Turkey, eight for Australia, six for Norway, and 16 for other countries.

In addition, this contract provides for the procurement of parts for the manufacture of 14 F-35B variant aircraft for the U.S. Marine Corps, Britain and Italy and for two F-35C variant aircraft for the U.S. Navy and Marines.

"Fiscal 2015 aircraft procurement (Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy), non-U.S. Department of Defense participant funding, and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $920,350,132 are being obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year," the department said.

The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.