International Orders Bolster F-35 Sales, But So Far Only Five of 597 Are Firm

Lockheed Martin’s F-35 is the Pentagon’s largest cooperative program. Eight partner countries are collectively contributing $4.9 billion to the system design and development phase (SDD). They have projected a total buy of 597 aircraft as follows: Australia, 100; Canada, 65; Denmark, 30; Italy, 131; The Netherlands, 85; Norway, 48; Turkey, 100; and the UK, 138. Those totals likely won’t survive defense budget pressures, especially in the UK.

Only Denmark has yet to confirm its choice of the F-35. It will decide next year, after holding a competition in which the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is the main challenger.

In Australia, the Netherlands, Norway and especially Canada, there has been political controversy over the choice of the F-35, especially because the final acquisition cost is still so uncertain.

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