Britain says agrees to order four more F-35 stealth fighter jets

Britain has reached an agreement in principle to order four more of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said on Tuesday.

U.S. Airmen begin refueling an Lockheed Martin’s F-35A Lightning II during a hot pit session on the 33rd Fighter Wing flightline at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. All of the F-35 variants use the refueling areas in conjunction with the 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron’s fuels flight. (Photo by U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.-USAF/Eglin AFB)

The formal contract, part of a plan to purchase 14 of the stealth fighters over the next five years, will be placed within the coming weeks, the ministry said. The aircraft are due to be delivered from mid-2016.

The jets will form part of Britain’s first operational squadron of F35s. It has already taken delivery of three training jets, which are based in Florida, and last year ordered a fourth, also for test use.

The MoD said the aircraft, which are capable of short take off and vertical landing, would operate from Britain’s two new aircraft carriers, which are under construction, and from Royal Air Force land bases.

“With highly advanced sensors, systems and weapons, this fifth generation stealth aircraft will offer a quantum leap in terms of capability,” Air Commodore Mark Hopkins, who is overseeing the project, said in a statement.

The contract is part of a wider agreement between the U.S. Defense Department and Lockheed for the production of a total of 43 Lockheed Martin’s F-35s for six different countries.
Source: LONDON – REUTERS / PUBLISHED: 7:39 PM, OCTOBER 28, 2014 (todayonline.com)