In 1997, Lockheed Martin was selected as one of two companies to participate in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) concept demonstration phase. The JSF competition asked the two companies to develop an aircraft to meet the United States Air Force's air-to-ground needs, the multi-role stealthy strike necessities of the U.S. Navy and the Short Take-Off & Vertical Landing needs of the U.S. Marine Corps. On October 26, 2001, the Department of Defense selected Lockheed Martin as the JSF competition winner.
Lockheed Martin is the prime F-35 Lightning II contractor, with principal partners Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems and Pratt & Whitney. The global enterprise includes more than 1,900 suppliers from domestic and international companies around the world. Together, these companies deliver more than 300,000 individual parts to produce the F-35 Lightning II at Lockheed Martin's mile-plus-long factory in Fort Worth, Texas.
Fast forward nearly 20 years and the F-35 Program continues to push the boundaries of aerospace technology. Today, the F-35 is the most advanced 5th Generation aircraft ever built. Its capabilities combine advanced stealth, sensor information, network-enabled operations and sophisticated sustainment systems.
One of the key differentiators of the F-35 Program is its economic and global footprint. The F-35 Program represents the first time an aircraft is developed, produced and supported by an international team of allies and aerospace industry leaders. The global supply chain includes companies based in the United States and every nation acquiring the F-35. The F-35 powers economic growth worldwide and ensures customers have a stake in the F-35 Program's success.
Lockheed Martin's F-35 delivers more than just air combat superiority to our men and women in uniform. As an added benefit for the nation's economy, it simultaneously provides tens of thousands of high-paying, high-quality jobs to American workers across the country and worldwide. It pushes the boundaries of aerospace technology and empowers economies around the globe.
Today, Fort Worth is the epicenter for F-35 Production. Over the next decade, the facility will produce thousands of F-35s for the United States and its allies. To date, more than 111 Texas-based companies support the F-35 Program resulting in 55,000+ jobs and an annual impact of $10.5 Billion. The 50+ year longevity of the F-35 Program will continue to fuel future economic growth in the region. In North Texas alone, the F-35 Program has produced 18,300+ jobs.
The United States and her allies will fly the F-35 for the next half century and Lockheed Martin will produce and deliver the F-35 for the next 20+ years. Lockheed Martin continues to develop, modernize and sustain the F-35 to ensure that we can provide the latest technologies and capabilities to the warfighters over the service life of the F-35 Program.