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Assembly of 1,000th Lockheed Martin F-35 begins
At the company’s factory in Fort Worth, Texas, the final assembly of the 1,000th Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jet has started.
The milestone was recognised by BAE Systems, the company that makes the rear fuselage portions for the F-35, which declared the delivery of the 1,000th fuselage produced at its plant in Samlesbury, Lancashire.
According to Cliff Robson, Group Managing Director of BAE Systems Air, “This is a major occasion for everyone engaged in the programme and a tribute to the highly-skilled team we have in the North West of England.”
Bridget Lauderdale, Lockheed Martin Vice President and General Manager of the F-35 programme, said: “The F-35 programme powers economic growth and prosperity for the UK injecting approximately £41billion* into the UK economy and supporting more than 20,000 jobs in the UK supply chain, many of those based in the North West. “With more than 500 companies in our UK supply chain, we’re proud of the role that our partnership with BAE Systems has in delivering the world’s most advanced aircraft for the UK and 17 other allied nations.”
F-35 aircraft inside hangarBAE Systems has been involved in the F-35 programme since its inception and plays key roles across the development, manufacture and sustainment of the aircraft, which is operated by the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and air forces across the world.
