Lockheed Martin reveals cost of British F-35B procurement

Documents have revealed that the UK has paid $4.17bn (£3.36bn) in procuring its first 35 short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL)-configured F-35B Lightning II fifth-generation multi-role stealth fighters from Lockheed Martin. However, Lockheed Martin said that since the UK began ordering the aircraft, the cost has been reduced by almost 40% per airframe. Written evidence by the company to the UK government’s Defence Select Committee has provided a breakdown of how the price per aircraft has reduced as the number