Tel Aviv: Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), a world-class aerospace and defence leader, has been recognised for its performance as a Lockheed Martin supplier in 2025, receiving two Lockheed Martin Aeronautics supplier awards: the Mission Focused Award for IAI’s F16 Wings, Vertical Fin and Conformal Fuel Tank programmes, and the Ahead of Ready Award for IAI’s F35 Wings programme.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics works with more than 1,400 active suppliers worldwide and sets demanding performance requirements for its global supply chain. The annual Supplier Awards programme recognises Lockheed Martin suppliers that meet the company’s standards for quality, delivery, operational performance and customer support. The awards were presented by senior representatives of Lockheed Martin to IAI leadership during a ceremony held at IAI.
A limited number of suppliers are selected for these awards each year. IAI’s recognition in two categories reflects its performance across both the F16 and F35 programmes and the work of the teams responsible for meeting production, quality and delivery requirements.
Guy Bar Lev, IAI President and CEO, said, “The partnership between IAI and Lockheed Martin spans nearly four decades and is built on mutual trust, technological cooperation and a shared commitment to supporting critical aerospace and defence programmes. Over the years, our companies have worked together to meet evolving operational needs and deliver advanced capabilities to customers worldwide. We look forward to continuing to strengthen this partnership in the years ahead.”
Yaacov Berkovitz, EVP and GM of IAI’s Aviation Group, commented, “Trust is the foundation of our partnership with Lockheed Martin. For years, our teams have worked side by side, delivering quality, value, and on-time performance with consistency and reliability. This shared commitment to excellence enables us to support critical programmes, meet demanding requirements, and help ensure success for Lockheed Martin and its customers around the world.”
Kyle Franklin, Vice President of Global Supply Chain, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, stated, “To be recognised as a recipient of both the Mission Focused and Ahead of Ready Supplier Awards is an outstanding achievement by IAI and a fitting testament to the hard work, dedication and commitment of a highly professional team.”
IAI and Lockheed Martin have maintained a strategic partnership since the late 1980s, encompassing decades of cooperation in developing and producing aerostructures. The partnership has supported major aerospace and defence programmes and continues to evolve in response to changing customer and operational needs.
As part of this cooperation, IAI produces wings for the F35 fighter aircraft at its wing assembly line. IAI has participated in the F-35 programme since 2014 and delivered the 350th wing to Lockheed Martin in February 2026. IAI has been supplying major aerostructures for the F16 for over 30 years, including wings, vertical fins and conformal fuel tanks. The conformal fuel tank was co-developed by Lockheed Martin and IAI, drawing on their shared engineering, manufacturing and operational experience.
IAI supplies aerostructures to customers worldwide, supporting a range of commercial and military aerospace programmes. Its capabilities include manufacturing and assembling complex composite and metallic structures using advanced production technologies and established quality processes.
