WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The news comes after Trump met with the chief executives of two of the biggest US defense contractors, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, to discuss cost overruns for the F-35 fighter jet.
"Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price-out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet!" Trump stated in the message via Twitter on Thursday.
Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price-out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 22 декабря 2016 г.
According to CNBC, Lockheed Martin shares fell 1.7 percent after the Trump tweets about the F-35 and F-18 programs as Boeing shares climbed 0.6 percent.
After Trump's statements, Boeing endorsed president-elect's aspirations in a Twitter post.
"Ready to work with Donald Trump's administration to affordably meet US military requirements," Boeing tweeted late on Thursday.
Ready to work with @realDonaldTrump's administration to affordably meet U.S. military requirements.
— The Boeing Company (@Boeing) December 22, 2016
Boeing’s major rival Lockheed Martin is under pressure for cost overruns on the F-35 multirole jet program, which Trump is threatening to scale back amid cost estimates of nearly $1.5 trillion over the program’s lifetime.
