Deal Signed, Destination Hidden: 11 F-35s for Foreign Customer

The U.S. Navy has signed a $153.9 million contract with Lockheed Martin aimed at advancing production of 11 F-35 stealth fighter jets for a foreign customer. In an official U.S. government announcement, it was said that the customer is part of the United States' Foreign Military Sales program, but its name was not disclosed.

The contract does not yet include full aircraft production, but rather the purchase of materials, parts and components with long lead times that must be ordered in advance so as not to delay the production line. It is an amendment to an existing contract between Lockheed Martin, the F-35 manufacturer, and the U.S. Navy. According to the contract details, the work will be carried out mainly in Fort Worth, Texas, along with additional sites in the United States, Britain and Italy. This includes the Cameri facility in Italy, one of the European production and assembly sites for the F-35 program. Completion is expected in December 2030.

The fact that the customer's name was not disclosed has drawn interest, but the official publication contains no detail that would allow the country to be identified with certainty. However, the reasonable assessment is that it may be Belgium: Brussels announced last year that it intended to buy 11 additional F-35A aircraft, which would increase its stealth fleet from 34 to 45 planes. Lockheed Martin also said that Belgium had announced its intention to purchase 11 additional aircraft. Further support for that assessment comes from remarks by Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken, who said in February that Belgium intended to sign a contract this year for the purchase of 11 additional F-35 aircraft, and that it wanted the deal to be