16:00 18 March 2009Fighters and Attack Aircraft Head up Display Procurement
<P>The UK has kept its commitment to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme despite massive pressure on its procurement budget, today signing for its first three production aircraft to support initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) of the fifth-generation fighter.</P> <P>Signed during a visit to Washington DC by defence secretary John Hutton, the deal will see the UK take delivery of its first short take-off and vertical landing F-35Bs in 2011, with the aircraft to be drawn from the JSF programme's third low-rate initial production batch.</P> <P align=center> <TABLE style="WIDTH: 445px" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TH><IMG style="WIDTH: 445px; HEIGHT: 286px" alt="" src="../assets/getAsset.aspx?ItemID=28100" border=0> </TH></TR> <TR> <TD> <H6 align=right>© Team JSF</H6></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></P> <P>To be delivered in 2011-12, the UK aircraft will be assigned to a joint test team for the F-35 in the USA, with the Netherlands