Chronically high operating costs might be tamed with a new deal. A new sustainment contract between the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) and Lockheed Martin, inked in September, will give the company a chance to bring down operating costs over the next three years.
Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Joint Program Office have agreed that F-35 production will peak at 156 jets per year in 2023 and remain at that level "for the foreseeable future." The "re-baselining" of the program is meant to ensure predictability and stability in production.