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| US announces $8.5bn F35 order | US announces $8.5bn F35 order |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The US Department of Defense has announced a deal for 90 F-35 jets worth about $8.5bn for supplier Lockheed Martin. | The US Department of Defense has announced a deal for 90 F-35 jets worth about $8.5bn for supplier Lockheed Martin. |
| The agreement brings the price for each stealth fighter aircraft below $100m for the first time, the Pentagon said. | The agreement brings the price for each stealth fighter aircraft below $100m for the first time, the Pentagon said. |
| The Pentagon says it will save around $728m compared with its last order. | The Pentagon says it will save around $728m compared with its last order. |
| US President Donald Trump has been vocal in his criticism of the price of the F35 programme. | US President Donald Trump has been vocal in his criticism of the price of the F35 programme. |
| Mr Trump tweeted in December that the costs of the project were "out of control". | Mr Trump tweeted in December that the costs of the project were "out of control". |
| However, defence analysts have said that a subsequent discount, which Donald Trump announced at the end of January, was in line with what had been flagged by Lockheed and Pentagon officials for months. | However, defence analysts have said that a subsequent discount, which Donald Trump announced at the end of January, was in line with what had been flagged by Lockheed and Pentagon officials for months. |
| The F-35 is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons programme, costing about $400bn (£316bn). | The F-35 is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons programme, costing about $400bn (£316bn). |
| But the price per jet has been steadily declining as production increases. | But the price per jet has been steadily declining as production increases. |
| The US military will buy 55 of the jets, while 35 of the F35s will be sold abroad. | |
| The UK is to buy three of the fighter planes. | The UK is to buy three of the fighter planes. |
| Lockheed, the main contractor, and its partners have been working on building a more cost-effective supply chain to fuel the production line in Fort Worth in Texas. |