Pentagon underscores commitment to F-35

Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn on Thursday underscored the Pentagon's commitment to Lockheed Martin Corp's $300 billion F-35 fighter jet, saying the U.S. government and its allies still planned to buy 3,000 of the new fighters over time.

"We are heavily investing in the F-35. A successful Joint Strike Fighter is at the heart of our continued air superiority," Lynn told industry and military officials at a conference hosted by Tufts University and the Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis.

Draft budget documents obtained by Reuters show the department will request $10.7 billion to continue the F-35's development and buy 42 aircraft in fiscal year 2011, 10 less than initially planned.

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