Pentagon cuts in half its request for Air Force F-35s

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II is seen over Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, July 13, 2021. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jose Miguel T. Tamondong)

The Pentagon is scaling back by half its request to Congress for the U.S. Air Force's Lockheed Martin F-35 jets, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday.

A U.S. Defense Department procurement request document sent to Capitol Hill this week asked for 24 of the planes, down from 48 that were forecast last year, the report said.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Lockheed Martin and the Department of Defense did not respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours.

The Air Force now plans to seek $3.5 billion for the F-35 aircraft, and another $531 million for advance procurement of materials for it, the report said.

The Pentagon has also requested 12 of the Navy's carrier version of the F-35, lower than the 17 Congress approved for this fiscal year, while the Marines would also see a reduction of two from this year’s funding, the report added. 

In May, Lockheed Martin's finance chief said the firm expects to be awarded a finalized contract on its F-35 jets, which have been beset by delays related to a technology upgrade.

The defense contractor delivered a total of 110 F-35 fighter jets to the United States and its allies in 2024. Lockheed's F-35 program accounts for around 30% of the company's revenue.

 (Reporting by Preetika Parashuraman and Kanjyik Ghosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman // REUTERS)