Proposed $1.6 billion cut to Lockheed Martin’s F-35 raises alarms in Fort Worth
Reports that the Biden administration is considering scaling back its order of Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets raised concerns among some Fort Worth political leaders on Thursday.
The administration is considering an 18% cut to meet spending caps agreed to as part of a 2023 debt ceiling deal, a source familiar with the matter told a Washington bureau reporter for McClatchy, the parent company of the Star-Telegram.
The cuts, reported by Reuters, would reduce the U.S. government’s 2025 order from 83 jets to just under 70. The financial impact could be as much as $1.6 billion.
U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, a Democrat from Fort Worth, called the reported cuts disappointing. He said the F-35 is an essential tool of American national security.
“I remain committed to working with my colleagues to ensure the F-35 is properly funded to bolster national security, enhance global partnerships, and power economic growth in the Dallas-Fort Worth,” Veasey said in a statement to the Star-Telegram.
Republican Rep. Kay Granger, who chairs the House Appropriations committee and has represented Fort Worth in congress for nearly 28-years, did not respond to two emails from the Star-Telegram requesting comment. She is not seeking reelection.
A spokesperson for Lockheed Martin said in a statement that the company is looking forward to working with Congress and the Biden administration on the upcoming 2025 budget.
Lockheed Martin has assembled F-35 fighter jets in Fort Worth since it was awarded the contract in 2001. The company said it produces roughly 156 jets per year.
Lockheed Martin is also Fort Worth’s largest employer with roughly 19,000 residents on the payroll.
Any cuts to production could have an effect on the local economy, said Fort Worth city council member and aerospace engineer Carlos Flores, who previously worked on the F-35 at Lockheed Martin.
He pointed to recent layoffs at the company, and a Feb. 12 decision by a Dutch court to halt the export of F-35 parts to Israel over concerns about its war against Hamas in Gaza.
Any cuts could affect the entire production line, from manufacturing to software updates, Flores said.
However, any cut backs in orders from the United States could be offset by orders from other countries.
The Czech Republic announced plans to purchase two dozen F-35 aircraft in January around the same time the U.S. State Department approved Greece’s $8.6 billion purchase of 40 F-35 fighter jets.
The defense budget has not been finalized and is not anticipated to be released for another month, leaving room for the Biden administration to adjust the exact number of jets to be ordered.
The proposal will also have to be negotiated with congress, which could result in a lifting of the spending caps and a restoration of the government’s original order.
