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Lockheed (LMT) Wins $67M Deal to Support F-35 Jet Program

Zacks Equity Research
·4-min read

Lockheed Martin Corp.’s LMT business segment, Aeronautics, recently clinched a modification contract involving F-35 fighter jets. The award has been offered by the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD.

Details of the Deal

Valued at $67.4 million, the contract is expected to be complete by May 2026. Through this modification, Lockheed Martin’s scope to procure long-lead-time materials, parts and components and efforts for the production of 17 F-35A aircraft from the eighth lot will increase.

The majority of work related to this deal will be carried out in Fort Worth, TX.

F-35 to Remain a Growth Driver

The recent tiff between Russia and Ukraine led to nations increasing their defense spending on military equipment and arsenals. Military aircraft with multi-mission capabilities make an integral part of any efficient defense system.
Lockheed Martin enjoys a dominant position in the global military aircraft space, given its strong F-35 fleet. This stealth aircraft boasts features that make it an ideal choice for many nations. Moreover, LMT’s constant efforts to modernize and upgrade the aircraft with advanced technologies and enhance its capabilities to meet the current warfare needs boost demand significantly.

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The F-35 program remained the largest revenue generator for Lockheed Martin’s Aeronautics business unit and accounted for 68% of Aeronautics’ net sales in 2021.

The stealth aircraft is expected to witness a continued upswing in its demand as the U.S. government’s current inventory objective is pegged at 2,456 aircraft for the U.S. Air Force. The company anticipates delivering 148 to 153 aircraft in 2022 while expecting deliveries to grow to 156 aircraft in 2023 and beyond.

Due to F-35’s remarkable features, which are well-suited for any military mission, Lockheed Martin continues to witness a steady inflow of orders involving the jet. The latest contract win is a testament to that. This, in turn, should bolster LMT’s revenues from the military aircraft arena.

Growth Prospects

Per Mordor Intelligence projections, the global military aircraft market is expected to witness a CAGR of more than 4% during the 2022-2031 period. Such projections indicate immense opportunities for Lockheed Martin to further reap the benefits of the military aircraft market’s expansion.

Prominent defense majors that are involved in manufacturing military aircraft are Northrop Grumman NOC, Airbus Group EADSY and Textron TXT.

Since its inception, Northrop Grumman has been a pioneer in the development of manned aircraft. From fighter jets and stealth bombers to surveillance and electronic warfare, Northrop Grumman has been providing manned solutions for customers worldwide. It has built some of the world’s most-advanced aircraft, ranging from the innovative B-2 Spirit stealth bomber to the game-changing E-2D Advanced Hawkeye.

Northrop Grumman has a long-term earnings growth rate of 6.1%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NOC’s 2022 sales indicates an improvement of 2.6% from 2021’s reported figure.

Airbus Group’s military aircraft comprise the A400M, the C295 tactical transporter, the new-generation A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport and the Eurofighter, the most-modern swing-role fighter ever conceived.

Airbus Group’s long-term earnings growth rate is pegged at 12.4%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EADSY’s 2022 sales indicates growth of 3% from the prior-year reported figure.

Textron’s military aircraft include the Beechcraft T-6 training aircraft and the Beechcraft AT-6 light-attack aircraft. The company also manufactures the Beechcraft Model 18 light bomber, the T-44 and T-34 training aircraft and the T-1A jet trainer.

Textron boasts a long-term earnings growth rate of 12.7%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TXT’s 2022 sales indicates year-over-year growth of 8.2% from the prior-year reported figure.

Price Movement

In the past year, shares of Lockheed Martin have rallied 8.7% against the industry’s decline of 43.1%.

Zacks Investment Research
Zacks Investment Research


Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Zacks Rank

Lockheed Martin currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.


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