Italy has ordered more Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighters. A contract worth US$ 524 million was signed between the two parties on August 09th, with the US Department of Defense (DoD) intermediating the purchase.
Altogether there are 18 more F-35 fighters that will be incorporated into the Italian Air Force, four of which are for the F-35B version, focused on short-range takeoffs and landings.
Thus, Italy's total order is for 90 F-35 fighters, 30 of which are for the F-35B version. Only 12 units have been delivered so far, and Italy has not disclosed what the delivery schedule for the new planes will be.
As purchase commitments are gradually being signed by Italy, deliveries are also proceeding slowly despite the full order. The Italians also participate in the production of components for the F-35.
In 2021, Lockheed Martin announced the delivery of 142 F-35 aircraft, bringing the grand total of F-750 fighters operating worldwide to 196. The company planned to deliver 2022 aircraft in XNUMX.
