Fighter jets contract to give 'huge boost' to jobs Thousands of jobs are to be created in the UK due to the manufacture of fighter jets. The parts and components for the 3,000-strong fleet of F-35 jets are to be built by a number of different companies across Britain before the planes are assembled in the United States and begin to be delivered in 2015. According to Lockheed Martin, which is leading the contractorship, the move is expected to sustain some 25,000 jobs in the UK over 30 years. Paul Livingston, director of aeronautics for Lockheed Martin in the UK, said it would provide a "huge boost" to British industry. "It's really spread across the country, a lot in the North West as well, so areas that could really do with these kind of hi-tech, high-value jobs that help stimulate the rest of the economy in that area," he said. The Joint Strike Fighter planes, which have been in development for over fifteen years, are expected to be used by the Ministry of Defence to replace Harrier and Tornado jets, with two of three test aircraft to be handed over to the UK in June. Work will primarily be carried out at the BAE Systems site at Samlesbury, Lancashire. Other places to benefit include companies with sites in Buckinghamshire, Wirral, Lancashire, Dorset, Bristol and Southampton.