Lockheed Martin bags $1.17-bn US naval contract

The US navy said that Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co, Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $1.17-billion advance acquisition contract for the advance procurement of long lead time materials, parts, and components in an effort to maintain the planned production schedule for F-35 low rate initial production lot 11 aircraft.

The advance acquisition effort includes 80 F-35A aircraft (28 for the US Air Force; 6 for the government of Norway; 4 for the government of Turkey; 8 for the government of the Netherlands; 8 for the government of Australia; 10 for the government of Israel; 6 for the government of Japan; and 10 for the government of South Korea); 7 F-35B aircraft (6 for the U.S. Marine Corps; and 1 for the United Kingdom); and 4 F-35C aircraft for the U.S. Navy.

This contract also includes an undefinitized contract action for production of 2 F-35A aircraft for the U.S. Air Force and F-35C aircraft for the U.S. Navy.

Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (55 per cent); El Segundo, California (15 per cent); Warton, United Kingdom (10 per cent); Orlando, Florida (5 per cent); Nashua, New Hampshire (5 per cent); Baltimore, Maryland (5 per cent); and Nagoya, Japan (5 per cent), and is expected to be completed in December 2019.

In addition, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co is being awarded an $84.43 million cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to the previously awarded Lot 9 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter advance acquisition contract for the procurement of production non-recurring items. These items include special tooling and special test equipment items that are critical to meeting current and future production rates for the US Air Force, US Navy, US Marine Corps; and non-US DoD participants.

Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (98 per cent) and Fort Worth, Texas (2 per cent), and is expected to be completed in December 2018.