# DoW Awards Fort Worth F-35 Modification

On October 15, 2026, the U.S. Department of War announced an **$18.8 million** sole-source modification to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics for development, demonstration, and integration of an F-35 variant customized for an unnamed Foreign Military Sales customer. The customer is funding the full amount, and work is scheduled through December 2030, primarily in Fort Worth, Texas. The modification continues work under contract N0001922C0015 rather than opening a new competition.

- The award points to continued demand for customer-specific F-35 engineering and systems integration. Firms with relevant capabilities may find opportunities through Lockheed Martin’s supply chain; this modification itself is not an open competition.
- Because the foreign customer funds the full modification, the award does not represent U.S. funding for this work.
- Contractors can use the stated scope and schedule to assess whether their F-35 development, demonstration, or integration capabilities align with potential subcontracting needs through December 2030.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Published:** October 16, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of War (DoW)
- Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR)
- U.S. Navy

### Vendors
- Lockheed Martin Aeronautics (awardee)

### Sources
- [Mystery foreign buyer pays for its own custom F-35](https://defence-blog.com/mystery-foreign-buyer-pays-for-its-own-custom-f-35) - The Defence Blog