UK To Buy 3 Lockheed Martin F-35 Fighter Aircraft
19 March 2009 - 7:13AM
Dow Jones News
WASHINGTON (AFP)--The U.K. on Wednesday formally agreed to
purchase three F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft for initial
testing, Defense Minister John Hutton confirmed during a visit to
the U.S. capital.
"I've also got some good news today for the U.K.-U.S. special
relationship," said Hutton, announcing the deal alongside U.S.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
He said the U.K. would be "fully participating" in the
development stage of the F-35 and that the aircraft would form "a
very big part of the future for the Royal Air Force."
Lockheed Martin Corp.'s (LMT) supersonic aircraft is designed to
evade radar and replace aging fighter aircraft for the U.S.
military and eight other allied countries.
The meeting between the two defense chiefs mainly focused a U.S.
strategy review for the war in Afghanistan, Gates told
reporters.
The results of the review are expected to be announced within
days, defense officials say.