Søreide believes price reduction of F-35 aircraft to be positive

Norway's first F-35 fighterFort Worth, USA.Norway's first F-35 fighter.Photo: Laura Buckman / NTB scanpix

The price for F-35 aircraft, to be delivered in 2018, has fallen with 7.3 percent. “The price reduction strengthens our confidence in the program”, says Defence Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide.

The multinational F-35 program confirmed to have signed a definitive and binding contract with aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin this Friday, for the tenth production line of the new F-35 fighter planes. “This new contract confirms that the price for each F-35 continues to reduce both in line with our prognoses, and the negotiations that have been going for over a year. It is very positive, and strengthens our confidence in the program”, says Søreide to NTB.

The production includes 90 aircrafts to be delivered in 2018, six of them to the Norwegian defense. The new contract is approximately decreased with 7.3 percent compared with the previous contract which was signed in November 2016 and which concerned aircraft delivered in 2017.

The base price is now $ 94.6 million. It is the first time the price tag per aircraft falls below $ 100 million. Compared to the first production series, the base rate has fallen with over 60 percent.

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today