Lockheed contracted for F-35 support for Navy, Italy

April 26 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Navy for services in support of the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter.

The deal, announced Wednesday by the Department of Defense, is valued at more than $38.4 million, which is a modification to a previous award.

The contract from Naval Air Systems Command provides additional funds and enables Lockheed Martin for "low-rate initial production of long lead materials, parts, components, and effort for economic order quantity increases," for the U.S. Navy and Italy, the Pentagon said.

Work on the contract will occur in multiple locations in the United States, as well as in Warton, England, and Nagoya, Japan.

The contract is expected to be complete in December 2019.

The total amount of the contract will be obligated to Lockheed Martin at time of award -- funds will be allocation from Navy fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement and non-Defense Department participants funds, the Pentagon said.

The obligated funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year in September.