The US Department of Defense has reached a deal on the purchase of the next 90 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft at almost 8 percent discount from the jets’ price, resulting in savings of more than $700 million, manufacturer Lockheed Martin announced in a statement on Friday, Sputnik reported.
Lockheed Martin explained the increase in the number of aircraft in the agreement has enabled it to "reduce costs by taking advantage of economies of scale and production efficiencies."
"We’re pleased to have reached an agreement with the US Department of Defense for the next 90 F-35 aircraft," the statement said. "The agreement represents $728 million in savings and a nearly 8 percent reduction in price over our last contract for the air vehicle delivered by Lockheed Martin and our industry partners."
The defense contractor emphasized that US President Donald Trump’s involvement in the F-35 program speeded up the talks and enhanced focus on reducing the jet’s price.
Lockheed Martin noted that the deal was reached within weeks, and will create 1,800 new jobs at its Fort Worth factory in Texas as well as support thousands jobs in the supply chain.