Lockheed Martin will supply more F-35B Short Take-off Vertical Landing STOVL fighter to Italy.

According to information released by the U.S. Department of Defense on June 11, 2020, American Company Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $368,194,942 not-to-exceed, undefinitized contract modification (P00036) to previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm-target, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N00019-17-C-0001. This modification provides for the procurement of five F-35A Lightning II lot 14 aircraft, one F-35B lot 14 combat aircraft and associated red gear for the government of Italy.
Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link

The F-35B MM7451 during its test flight in full Marina Militare markings Credit: Franco Gualdoni. (Picture source via Twitter account The Aviationist)

Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (35%); Cameri, Italy (28%); El Segundo, California (15%); Warton, United Kingdom (8%); Orlando, Florida (4%); Nashua, New Hampshire (3%); Baltimore, Maryland (3%); San Diego, California (2%); various locations within the continental U.S. (1.3%) and various locations outside the continental U.S. (0.7%). Work is expected to be complete by June 2023.

The Italian Air Force has received its first F-35B SVTOL (Short Take-off and Vertical Landing) Stealth fighter aircraft in February 2020, built at the FACO (Final Assembly and Check-Out) facility in Cameri, Italy. The F-35B will be used by the Italian Navy onboard Cavour aircraft carrier and the LHD (Landing Helicopter Dock) Trieste.

The Italian armed forces have procured a total of 90 F-35 fighter aircraft including 60 F-35A and 30 F-35B, 15 will go to the Navy and 15 to the Air Force. The new fighter aircraft will replace the aging AV-8B+ Harrier.

The F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant is the world’s first supersonic STOVL stealth aircraft. It is designed to operate from austere bases and a range of air-capable ships near front-line combat zones. It can also take off and land conventionally from longer runways on major bases. The U.S. Marine Corps' F-35B aircraft reached initial operational capability (IOC) on July 31, 2015, and as of January 2017, a squadron of F-35Bs is permanently based at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan.

The F-35B STOVL operation is made possible through the Rolls-Royce patented shaft-driven LiftFan® propulsion system and an engine that can swivel 90 degrees when in short takeoff/vertical landing mode. Because of the LiftFan®, the STOVL variant has a smaller internal weapon bay and less internal fuel capacity than the F-35A. It uses the probe-and-drogue method of aerial refueling.