Lockheed's F-35 support deal grows by $871 million

The U.S. Navy increased an F-35 support contract with Lockheed Martin by $871.2 million to provide equipment for new operating sites worldwide. The modification raises the ceiling of a broader $2.29 billion agreement covering site activation, temporary contractor support, fleet management, and reliability work. It funds items such as spare parts, specialized maintenance tools, ground equipment, and logistics-network connections rather than additional aircraft. Work is scheduled through February 2031, primarily in El Segundo and Fort Worth, but the higher ceiling becomes available through future orders and has not been allocated publicly to specific U.S. bases or partner countries.