The Trump administration announced Friday that the Pentagon has reached a tentative deal with Lockheed Martin for the purchase of 90 F-35 jets at the lowest price in the program’s history – saving the government millions, officials said.
(FOX)- Trump, as president-elect, made headlines in December when he tweeted that the costs for the F-35 program were “out of control.”
This led to meetings and negotiations with the defense mega-contractor, apparently culminating in Friday’s nearly $9 billion agreement.
Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, F-35 program executive officer, called the contract a “good and fair” deal for taxpayers.
“We continue to work with Industry to drive costs out of the program,” he said in a statement.
Lockheed Martin, in a statement, acknowledged Trump’s involvement spurred them to drive down the cost.
“President Trump’s personal involvement in the F-35 program accelerated the negotiations and sharpened our focus on driving down the price. The agreement was reached in a matter of weeks and represents significant savings over previous contracts. This is a good deal for the American taxpayer, our country, our company and our suppliers,” the statement said.