"No financial remedy for delivery": Batch of F-35 fighter jets for Royal Navy and RAF delayed with no penalty
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Advanced fighter jets being bought for the Royal Navy and RAF have been delayed.
A batch of seven F-35B aircraft have not been procured on time for the armed forces. The warplanes play a central role in Carrier Strike Group drills, with them playing a vital role on HMS Prince of Wales’ recent deployment to the Indo-Pacific.
Democratic Unionist Party MP Gregory Campbell asked the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in a parliamentary written question when the remaining seven F-35Bs ordered from Lockheed Martin under tranche 1 will be delivered.
Luke Pollard, minister for defence readiness and procurement, said: “The Department expects to have received all seven F-35B aircraft ordered in Production Lot 17 by the end of April 2026.”
A target was in place for 48 F-35B fighter jets to be brought to the UK by the end of this year. Plans are in place to order a total of 138, including at least 12 of the F-35A model due to its nuclear capability.
Despite the delays to the order, a financial penalty will not be placed on Lockheed Martin. Mr Pollard said: “The F-35 Joint Program Office orders aircraft for the F-35 Partner Nations through annual production contracts.
“The seven F-35B aircraft in production contract Lot 17 should have been delivered by the end of 2025. The Department anticipates four of those aircraft will slip into 2026 and be delivered by April 2026 (a three to four month delay from the original contract). There is not a financial remedy for the delivery of Lot 17 aircraft.”
The UK Defence Journal reports that the Joint Program Office limits the government’s ability to impose delay penalties. The system involves nations buying aircraft through annual production lots rather than bespoke bilateral contracts. Fines cannot be sanctioned, even when there are timeline issues.
Mr Pollard believes the RAF is being supported enough, a Financial Retention Incentive being offered to encourage more engineers to join the force.