Fort Worth-based Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. plans to produce nearly 300 more F-35 Lightning II fighter jets for the U.S. military.
On Sept. 29, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics was awarded contracts worth about $24.3 billion for 294 F-35 aircraft to be used by all military branches and foreign allies. The defense contracts call for deliveries to begin in 2026 with most of the assembly work slated to occur in Fort Worth.
“The F-35 Lot 18-19 contract represents continued confidence in the most affordable and capable fighter aircraft in production today,” Chauncey McIntosh, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager of the F-35 Lightning II program, said in a statement. “We are proud to support our customers and further solidify the F-35’s role in enabling peace through strength.”
Meanwhile, company officials are evaluating whether the federal government shutdown is impacting Lockheed operations in Fort Worth.
The company said it is working with U.S. government customers to assess the impact on employees, programs, suppliers and business, while supporting essential, mission-critical programs and mitigating the impact to operations.
The new F-35 contracts come as Lockheed Martin companies are developing new drones.
New stealth drone
A new stealth drone developed by Lockheed Martin’s secretive Skunk Works division could fly in late 2027.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co.’s secretive Skunk Works division has revealed a new Vectis drone. (Courtesy image | Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co.)
Officials discussed the reusable Vectis autonomous drone at the Air Force Association’s 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference held in Bethesda, Maryland, in late September, Breaking Defense reported.
“Prototype parts are ordered; the team is in work; and we intend to fly in the next two years.” OJ Sanchez, Skunk Works’s vice president and general manager, told reporters.
The Vectis drone — which is in the prototype phase — was developed by Skunk Works based on customer feedback about future battlefield conditions, Sanchez said. He did not reveal how fast the drone would fly or other aspects of its design.
The drone, customizable to match threats, could be paired with Lockheed Martin’s F-22 or F-35 fighter jets, the latter of which is assembled at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth.
“That flexibility has been demonstrated through multiple demonstrations,” Sanchez said at the conference. “Now we’ll go out and build it, and we’ll work to prove (it) in the open air.”
More drones unveiled
Another Lockheed Martin company also is exploring the use of drones.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Connecticut, unveiled a converted, unmanned Black Hawk helicopter called a U-Hawk at the Association of the U.S. Army’s conference in Washington, D.C., this week.
Sikorsky’s Nomad family of drones can be scaled in size for a variety of sea- and land-based missions. (Courtesy image | Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company)
The aircraft has a larger cargo space to carry missiles or launch swarms of reconnaissance or strike drones.
“We developed this prototype from concept to reality in under a year, and the modifications made to transform this crewed Black Hawk into a multi-mission payload UAS (unmanned aerial system) can be replicated at scale quickly and affordably,” Rich Benton, Sikorsky vice president and general manager, said in a statement.
Sikorsky’s U-Hawk complements its Nomad family of autonomous drones with vertical take-off and landing capabilities that are scaled at different sizes.
Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.
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