INTERVIEW-Singapore, Israel eye big Lockheed fighter buys

WASHINGTON, July 7 (Reuters) - Singapore has shown interest in possibly buying up to 100 Lockheed Martin Corp's (LMT.N) F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft over coming decades, matching Israel's tentative plans, the general in charge of the program for the Pentagon said Monday.

Separately, the eight countries that have joined the United States to co-develop the F-35 appear to be largely sticking to their plans to buy some 730 aircraft of their own, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Charles Davis, the Pentagon's program chief.

"The Israelis have said they'd take up to 100 aircraft," he said in an interview. "The Singaporeans have said basically the same thing."

(Reporting by Jim Wolf, editing by Leslie Gevirtz)

((jim.wolf@reuters.com; +1-202-898-8402; Reuters Messaging: jim.wolf.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: USA/LOCKHEED FIGHTER

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