Lockheed Faces New Threat: A U.K.-Japan Fighter Jet

Two years ago, in a landmark deal, the United States announced it would sell 105 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters to Japan. The purchase -- worth $23 billion to F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) -- would more than triple Japan's F-35 force to a total of 147 jets. Once completed, it would make Japan the world's No. 2 user of the F-35, second only to the United States. Incidentally, the United Kingdom would be the F-35's No. 3 fan, with 138 jets.

But maybe not for long.

As keen as both Japan and the U.K. are to acquire America's most advanced (and in-production) fighter jet today, it turns out they're even more interested in acquiring something better later on. And they want to build that something better themselves.

Source Fool.com