F-35 deal near

Lockheed Martin is making progress in negotiations with the Pentagon about the next two batches of F-35 fighter jets and hopes to reach agreement soon, Chief Executive Marillyn Hewson said on Tuesday. Lockheed is building three models of the F-35 for the U.S. military and eight international partner countries: Britain, Australia, Canada, Norway, Turkey, Italy, Denmark and the Netherlands. Israel and Japan have also ordered the jet. The total number of jets involved is 71, with 36 planes in the sixth production lot and 35 in the seventh, said a spokesman for the Pentagon's F-35 office. The number includes 60 F-35s for the U.S. military, and 11 for Australia, Italy, Turkey and Britain. (Source: Reuters, 07/23/13) Gulf Coast note: Pilots and maintainers of F-35 fighters are trained at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.