Pentagon Cuts $6.9 Billion by Delaying Lockheed F-35s

The Pentagon reduced its five-year budget request by $6.9 billion by delaying the purchase of 124 F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin Corp., the military program office said today.

The delay beyond fiscal 2016 was announced Jan. 6 by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, part of about $178 billion in military-wide savings.

The exact dollar impact of slowing down the F-35 program was not disclosed at the time. That answer was provided today by the F-35 military program office.

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