The Pentagon and prime contractor Lockheed Martin [LMT] have reached an “agreement in principle” for the production of 43 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and said the total value of the contract will be released once it’s finalized. The contract is for the eighth batch of the stealth fighter jets and includes aircraft for six countries either partnering on the program or purchasing the planes. The F-35 program office said the contract will reflect a 3.6 percent lower cost per airplane…
