ILA 2022: German F-35A deal on ‘accelerated timeline'

An artist's impression of the F-35 in Luftwaffe markings, shown at ILA 2022. (Lockheed Martin via Janes/Gareth Jennings)

Lockheed Martin and the Joint Program Office (JPO) have accelerated their efforts to finalise Germany's contract to procure the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), a senior official noted on 22 June.

Speaking at the ILA Airshow in Berlin, JR McDonald, vice president of F-35 strategy and business development at Lockheed Martin, said that discussions are ongoing to determine the German government's operational and industrial requirements for the programme, and that these are being fast-tracked in order to expedite delivery of the capability in the shortest timeline.