American President Joe Biden has announced that his administration will ask for a decrease in the number of Lockheed Martin F-35 military combat aircraft that the Pentagon will purchase in 2025. The cut will be equal to -18%. This is a request made after the United States Congress, which has a majority of Republican opposition, placed limits on defense spending in the next budget law.

It was reported by various international media, citing people familiar with the dossier as sources. In 2023 the US Department of Defense had planned to purchase 83 F-35 fighter planes produced by the US company Lockheed Martin. A deal worth an estimated 9.8 billion dollars. Now, the order could be scaled to fewer than 70 aircraft, saving 1.6 billion dollars. 

The overall defense and national security spending to be put in the next budget is expected to amount to 895 billion dollars. This would impose cuts and slowdowns on a wide range of programs, including the supply of weapons to Ukraine and Israel. At the same time, however, it would have a negative impact on the Lockheed Martin company, with repercussions on 122,000 workers (2023 data). A precious pool of votes for the American presidential elections, which could revive the Biden-Trump challenge.