Lockheed Martin F-35 Fighter Poised To Become One Of America’s Biggest Exports (From Forbes)

The tri-service F-35 fighter has completed development and begun deploying overseas.  At least 11 foreign countries will buy it, and if it turns out anything like the F-16 it is replacing, the number of foreign buyers could eventually be twice that number.  Which raises the interesting question of how big a contribution F-35 might eventually make to the U.S. trade balance.  Prime contractor Lockheed Martin figures it will sell around 1,500 of the fighters overseas, which at today’s prices would be worth about $150 billion.  But then there’s life-cycle support, software upgrades, airframe modifications, attrition replacements, new demand stimulated by wars, etc.  In then-year dollars, the export income from F-35 across half a century of service could ultimately approach a trillion dollars.  I have written a commentary for Forbes here.