The recently announced 10-year production framework for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jet program is cementing long-term economic stability across Fort Worth and neighboring North Texas communities. Backed by the multiyear agreement unveiled in October 2026 covering production Lots 21 through 30, the mile-long assembly line at Air Force Plant 4 continues to serve as the primary anchor for Tarrant County’s defense and aerospace economy, generating roughly $9 billion in annual regional economic impact.
Headquartered in Fort Worth, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics ranks among the largest private employers in Tarrant County, directly employing approximately 20,000 workers across manufacturing, engineering, software development, and logistics. Yet the company’s economic footprint extends well beyond its West Fort Worth facility. Through local contractors, service providers, and induced consumer spending in surrounding municipalities—from Arlington and Grand Prairie to White Settlement and Weatherford—F-35 production and sustainment support more than 49,000 direct and indirect jobs across the region.
Those positions provide substantial upward mobility for North Texas households. According to a September 2026 study by the Perryman Group, direct private-sector defense jobs in North Texas pay 41 percent above the regional average, while indirect defense-related roles pay roughly 5 percent more than average. By transitioning away from annual negotiations to a decade-long production framework, the new contract eliminates year-to-year procurement uncertainty and secures steady, high-wage employment for Fort Worth’s skilled assembly and engineering workforce through the mid-2030s.
The broader North Texas defense industrial base relies heavily on this stability. A 2026 North Texas Commission report found that Tarrant County captures the largest share of the region’s defense economy, generating $12.8 billion in annual economic impact and supporting 98,800 defense-sector jobs countywide.
Local business leaders emphasize that small and mid-sized enterprises share directly in that momentum. According to the Fort Worth Chamber, local F-35 production directly engages roughly 60 small- to mid-sized businesses within Fort Worth while connecting to a network of more than 850 suppliers across Texas. That local supplier pipeline is positioned for further growth under the October 2026 agreement, which includes a $7 billion capital investment from Lockheed Martin to expand manufacturing capacity and bolster the global spare parts pool. For regional precision-machining, tooling, and electronics firms across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, the expansion translates into sustained contract demand over the coming decade.
Beyond private payrolls and business-to-business spending, the defense ecosystem anchored by Lockheed Martin provides critical funding for municipal infrastructure and public services. Across North Texas, the sector generates $1.5 billion annually in local tax revenue alongside $1.76 billion in state tax revenue. Those dollars flow directly back into city budgets, supporting road improvements, public safety, and local school districts in Fort Worth and its surrounding cities.
As global demand for the fifth-generation fighter remains strong, the 10-year production horizon ensures that Fort Worth’s aerospace corridor will remain a centerpiece of North Texas economic growth well into the next decade.