OK, here's a better view... Canada's F-35A contract they just signed.
The Canadians have agreed to pay 9bn Canadian dollars ($8.5bn; £5.6bn), which comes out to $138.46 million Canadian; $130.77 million US; £86.15 million each for 65 F-35A... a "price for the package of one airplane and that airplane's share of what is needed to get the squadrons running"!
Plus more for a 20-year maintenance contract.
Note that "Maintenance support contracts" do NOT mean that the operating Air Force does nothing and needs no equipment... it means that maintenance functions above squadron level are the responsibility of the contractor... the operating Air Force still needs all the squadron-level equipment & supplies... which is part of the initial contract (the $9 billion Canadian in this case).
During the news conference, Mr. MacKay would not say how much Canada would pay for each jet. Although he did indicate that the 9 billion Canadian dollar figure includes other costs like training, improvements to airbases as well as simulators.
A Canadian procurement official, who spoke on the condition he not be identified, said that the government was assuming that it would pay 90 million Canadian dollars for each F-35 although it anticipated that the final cost would be much lower.
Tom Burbage, a top Lockheed manager for the program, said the company expected to sell the planes to Canada for $60 million to $65 million each, not accounting for maintenance, parts or inflation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/17/bu...17fighter.html
So Canada is getting their F-35As for below $85 million each (US)... and likely about $75 million US each (taking the half-way point between Lockheed & Canada).
As the more informed around here were aware of.