Lockheed Martin operates as a global security and aerospace company. In 2016, Lockheed Martin is in the eye of a negative press tornado that is swirling over reports of poor F-35 Joint Strike Fighter performance and the USAF with U.S. NATO partners cutting their purchase orders. On February 10, 2016 the program office for this key strike fighter rushed to combat the negative global press. The Air Force is budgeted to spend $10.1 billion dollars but surprisingly will only buy 43 new F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation fighters. The remaining force will be made up of antique aircraft that will be upgraded such as the F-15s, F-16s, and F-22s. Fighter F35 aircraft has taken a hit as Secretary James will focus on larger platforms such as the new Long Range Bomber, 15 KC-46 Pegasus tankers, MQ-9 Reaper and C-130J airframes. The USAF will reduce the cost of flying the advanced F-35A planes and jeopardize the flight hours for trained pilots. The Air Force is due to declare the F-35 combat ready in August 2016

With NATO countries “it is now clear that some partner countries intend to buy fewer aircraft than the JPO provided planning numbers.” Canada a longtime partner with the Aerospace Industry has refused to purchase any F-35s, but will procure either the French or British fifth generation fighter. Socialist Justin Trudeau, stated "We will not buy the F-35 stealth fighter-bomber. We will immediately launch an open and transparent competition to replace the CF-18 fighter aircraft. The primary mission of our fighter aircraft should remain the defense of North America, not stealth first-strike capability. We will reduce the procurement budget for replacing the CF-18s, and will instead purchase one of the many, lower-priced options that better match Canada’s defense needs."

The United Kingdom (138 F35s-investment $2 billion), Italy (90 F35s-no investment), The Netherlands (85 F35s- $800 million), Canada (zero F35s-investment $150mil), Norway (56 F35s-$125mil), Denmark (30 F35s-$125mil), Australia (100 F35s-no investment) and Turkey (100 F35s-$175mil) have formally joined the U.S. development of the F35, contributed money toward the program, and committed to purchase. In 2015, the NATO member countries tally for F35s was only 599 F-35. Lockheed Martin is transferring sensitive top secret technology to these unreliable and competitive NATO “partners.” As reported by Global Security, “By 2015, Belgium [48 aircraft], Portugal [48 aircraft], and Spain [24 aircraft] remained ‘plausible customers’, for a total of 120 aircraft.”

Israel a country that the U.S. pours billions in aid and openly gives advanced U.S. weaponry, cut their 2001-year number of 100 to a mere 19 F35s in 2015. Germany that aggressively exports its cars, machinery, and Siemen products to the U.S., rejected the F35 and has decided to purchase the Eurofighter. India that has taken over the IT Market in the USA is developing a 5th generation fighter with Russia. According to a report by Global Security, “The Asian market of Japan, South Korea, and Singapore would amount to 230 aircraft, rather than 528.”

In October 2015, Lt. General Christopher Bogdan, head of Pentagon’s F-35 program office expressed his support of the program and stated before the U.S. House Armed Service Committee, that the F-35 program was “fundamentally on track”. Bogdan also spoke that "The F-35 program continues to grow and accelerate as we complete additional flight testing and increase deliveries to our U.S. and partner warfighters. The next 50,000 hours will be achieved much quicker as we double the size of the F-35 fleet worldwide in the next three years alone."

On February 11, 2016, a division of News Corp wrote, “More than one third of the program's flight hours were flown in 2015 alone. Among the three variants, approximately 26,000 hours were flown by the F-35A, 18,000 hours by the F-35B and 6,000 by the F-35C. F35s are flying at eight operating locations: Edwards Air Force Base, California, Eglin AFB, Florida, Hill AFB, Utah, Luke AFB, Arizona, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, MCAS Yuma, Arizona, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, and Nellis AFB, Nevada. Jets are also flown at two F-35 depot locations at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, and the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill AFB, Utah. Flight hours were also recorded at the two F-35 production facilities at Cameri, Italy, and Fort Worth, Texas.

On February 10, 2016, a DoD spokesman stated, “Plans by the Air Force to trim its F-35 Joint Strike Fighter order this year won’t affect a planned long-term increase in output to make the plane more affordable…Production is expected to rise from more than 50 this year and climb every year until the mid-2020s, peaking at 160 to 170 jets.” DoD Comptroller Mike McCord said on February 9, 2016. “It’s unclear we’ll be able to get this program back to the ramps that we had hoped for previously.”

“The U.S. DoD budget for fiscal 2017 was cut by President Obama, more than $11 billion from weapons spending, including five F-35s.” As a result, an effort to cut the average cost of the core F-35 model to $80-$85 million, by 2019, when adjusted for inflation. This compares to around $100 million for the batch currently being negotiated.”  In January 2016, Ashton Carter of the DoD, authorized United Technologies Corp’s Pratt & Whitney unit for two more production runs for F35 engines. Pratt & Whitney has many locations in Canada, the one country that refuses to purchase any F-35s. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) plans to invest more than $100 million to cut cost. Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and British BAE systems spent $170 million to further eliminate production cost. The 2016 revised forecast for both domestic and international sales at 873 F-35s to be built between 2016 and 2021. In the fiscal 2017 U.S. Defense Department budget will focus on Boeing’s USAF tanker, Northrop Grumman’s long range bomber, and an advanced ballistic missile submarine.