Six Aircraft Delivered or Committed; Balance Could be Cancelled

At MSPO in Kielce, Poland, this week, Lockheed Martin Vice Presiden Greg Ulmer provided some public comment regarding the situation with the Turkish F-35A aircraft and their potential fate.

The four aircraft delivered to date continue to be based at Luke AFB, AZ, where they are used for training. Two additional aircraft are currently in production, with the actual manufacturing of the remaining airframes not due to start until next year. As the procurement arrangement in this case is government-to-government, Turkish involvement in the F-35 programme is in the process of ‘unwinding’ after a corresponding decision by the US government. Until these issues are finally resolved, Turkey formally remains a participating country, as the programme has not been closed. If that is the case, the company is certain there will be potential new customers for the aircraft originally intended for Turkey.