{"id":20901,"date":"2017-07-31T16:45:20","date_gmt":"2017-07-31T16:45:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2017\/07\/31\/lockheed-gets-37b-advance-payment-for-f-35-program\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:52:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:52:19","slug":"lockheed-gets-37b-advance-payment-for-f-35-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2017\/07\/31\/lockheed-gets-37b-advance-payment-for-f-35-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Lockheed gets $3.7B advance payment for F-35 program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 The Pentagon made a $3.7 billion advance payment to Lockheed Martin late Friday for the 11th batch of F-35 aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pentagon and Lockheed still have not reached a final agreement on the 11th lot of F-35 aircraft, which is slated to cover 141 aircraft for the U.S. services and military partners. Although the Defense Department is confident it can hammer out a deal by the end of the year, it regularly uses a mechanism called a \u201cundefinitized contract action,\u201d or UCA, to dole out funding to Lockheed so that it can pay its suppliers and buy the materials it needs to meet the planned delivery schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Friday\u2019s award comes on the heels of a $5.6 billion UCA issued July 7, which obligated $4.5 billion for 91 F-35s produced for the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.<\/p>\n\n\n\t