May 14 (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin ( LMT ) expects to be

awarded a finalized contract on its F-35 jets, which have been

beset by delays in a technology upgrade, sooner than it

previously anticipated, the U.S. defense contractor's finance

chief said on Wednesday.

The fighter jets in lot 19 could potentially be awarded

sooner than the second half of this year, which was the

company's earlier timeline, newly appointed CFO Evan Scott said

at a Bank of America conference.

Lockheed's customer has told the company to expect lots 18

and 19 to be combined into a single contract, Scott added.

The Pentagon, U.S. allies and partners are the primary

customers for these lots of the F-35 jets.

The F-35 program has been bogged by delays in rolling out an

upgrade to give the jet better displays and processing

capabilities for its electronic systems.

Last month, Lockheed beat expectations for quarterly profit

and reaffirmed its annual forecasts, buoyed by resilient demand

for its missile systems and fighter jets.