Aircraft
Italy and Turkey Win Major F-35 Overhaul Work
Choices for the MRO of components will follow these initial depot awards
As the F-35 fleet builds, the program office is making awards for depot and component overhaul. In Europe, Italy and Turkey are the big winners so far. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
As the F-35 fleet builds, the program office is making awards for depot and component overhaul. In Europe, Italy and Turkey are the big winners so far. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

The aerospace industries of Italy and Turkey have been selected to perform the majority of heavy airframe and engine maintenance work, respectively, for Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters that will be based in Europe. The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) in Washington, D.C., said that it based its choice on data supplied by the European F-35 partner nations (Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey and the UK) and their industries. The work will begin in 2018, and the awards will be “reviewed and updated in approximately five years,” the JPO added.