Government and military leaders from across the globe attend a ceremony at Lockheed Martin production in Fort Worth to unveil the first in a line of F-35 Lightning II jets destined for Finland’s military on Dec. 16, 2025.
Emily Holshouser
eholfshouser@star-telegram.com
A major Fort Worth employer has secured a $7 billion, 10-year contract.
On Oct. 22, the Department of War announced a new agreement with Lockheed Martin for the production of more than 800 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter jets.
The jets are made in Fort Worth at the Lockheed Martin facility.
Under the agreement, Lockheed Martin would produce at least 850 of the jets over 10 years. The agreement also includes 10 years of spare parts, modification kits, and international customer orders at a rate of 156 aircraft per year, according to a news release from Lockheed Martin.
The program could create more than 300,000 jobs across the United States and generate $79 billion in economic activity over the next 10 years, the news release said.
Lockheed Martin announced earlier this year that sales have increased 11%, up to $20.1 billion for the second quarter of 2026. The company was awarded an $879 million contract by the Department of War in May to support F-35 aircraft delivery schedules.
The 10-year contract is subject to congressional approval, according to a news release from the union that represents aerospace and machine workers.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Emily Holshouser is a local news reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.