DoD: ~$30.1B for F-35A (LRIP Lot 15) long-lead material — a contract with Lockheed Martin (USAspending)
The DoD awarded about $30.1B ($30,140,182,630, cumulative over years) to Lockheed Martin for long-lead funding and related work on Lot 15 of Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) of the F-35A stealth fighter. Part of the U.S. military's flagship F-35 program.
Contract key facts
- RecipientLockheed Martin
- Contract value$30,140,182,630 (≈$30.14B)
- BranchNavy
- Awarding agencyDepartment of Defense
- Awarding sub-agencyDepartment of the Navy
- Award typeDEFINITIVE CONTRACT
- Period of performance2019-11-26 〜 2028-06-01
- Contract ID (PIID)N0001920C0009
Contract scope (original)
THE PURPOSE OF THIS MODIFICATION IS TO AWARD F-35A LRIP 15 USAF AIRCRAFT* LONG LEAD FUNDING
Key points
- Funds long-lead material/funding for F-35A (Air Force variant) LRIP Lot 15
- Recipient: Lockheed Martin, the F-35 prime contractor
- Value ~$30.1B (multi-year cumulative), period November 2019–June 2028
- LRIP = producing small batches before full-rate production to refine the design
- Long-lead = pre-ordering materials that take a long time to manufacture
- Of the 207 records held as of 2026-09-01, 23 carry LONG LEAD in the description and 21 carry ADVANCE.
1F-35A LRIP Lot 15
This contract funds long-lead material for F-35A (the Air Force variant) in Lot 15 of Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP), with contract administration by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA).
2Why long-lead items are funded first
Aircraft production involves items — engines, large forgings, avionics — that take years between order and delivery. Funding them at the same moment as the airframe production contract would leave the line waiting on parts. Money is therefore committed for the long-lead items first so that the production that follows can proceed on schedule, and the long lead funding in this award is exactly that.
3The scale of the F-35 program
4Securing material early is not the exception
Long-lead material and advance procurement are not particular to this contract. Counting the descriptions across the 207 Department of Defense contracts this site holds as of 2026-09-01, a considerable share touch on securing material ahead of the main award.
In aircraft production, engines, large forgings and electronics take years between order and delivery. Securing them at the same time as the main airframe contract leaves the line waiting on parts. Setting aside the funding first is the premise on which the production that follows keeps to schedule.
Why it matters
A concrete example of the scale of the F-35, one of the largest U.S. defense programs, and the production reality of pre-ordering long-lead materials. Useful for tracking defense supply chains and Lockheed Martin's business.
FAQ
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Sources (primary)
This article is an independent organization based on the U.S. official spending data below. Verify the exact, latest details with the official source.
- USAspending (award details)
- Contract ID (PIID)：N0001920C0009