Trump's Lockheed Martin attack foreshadows war on defence industry

Seattle

DONALD Trump on Monday widened his attack on defence contractors, slamming Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 fighter jet programme as too expensive as aides to the president-elect said he intends to keep pushing to cut the costs of military hardware.

Mr Trump's latest Twitter broadside sent defence shares tumbling and fanned concerns that the incoming administration will reduce defence contractors' profit margins and cut broader federal spending, threatening US factory jobs even as Mr Trump promises to boost manufacturing employment.