Tue, Nov 23, 2010
Lockheed Martin Secures $3.5 Billion Contract For Low Rate
Initial Production
The Department of Defense has notified Lockheed Martin of a $3.5
billion contract modification for the manufacture of 31 F-35
Lightning II stealth fighters in the fourth lot of low-rate initial
production (LRIP). The contract also funds manufacturing-support
equipment, flight test instrumentation and ancillary mission
equipment. Including the long-lead funding previously received, the
total contract value for LRIP 4 is $3.9 billion.
Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will produce 10 F-35A
conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variants for the U.S. Air
Force, 16 F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing variants for the
U.S. Marine Corps, four F-35C carrier variants for the U.S. Navy
and one F-35B for the United Kingdom. Additionally, the Netherlands
has the option to procure one F-35A.
"We are focused on getting 5th generation fighter capability
into the hands of U.S. and allied pilots as quickly and as
cost-effectively as possible," said Larry Lawson, Lockheed Martin
executive vice president and F-35 program general manager.
The LRIP 4 order is in addition to 31 F-35s contracted under
LRIPs 1-3, three of which already have exited Lockheed Martin's
mile-long factory in Fort Worth. Nineteen test aircraft also have
rolled out. The U.S. and eight nations partnering in the project
plan to acquire more than 3,100 F-35 fighters, and Israel recently
announced plans to purchase the jet.
The F-35 program has about 900 suppliers in 45 states, and
directly and indirectly employs more than 127,000 people. Thousands
more are employed in the F-35 partner countries, which have
invested more than $4 billion in the project. Those countries are
the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada,
Australia, Denmark and Norway.
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