March 3, 2021 | International, C4ISR
BAE wins Air Force electronic warfare contract
The company will begin initial production of a system to protect pilots from jamming threats in contested airspace.
May 8, 2019 | International, Aerospace
Price Drop: Lockheed Pitches $80M F-35A to Pentagon
BY MARCUS WEISGERBER
That's the cheapest price yet for the Air Force version of the fifth-generation jet.
Lockheed Martin is offering to come down more than 10% on the price of the least-expensive F-35 as it negotiates the largest sale yet of Joint Strike Fighters.
The company is offering to sell the Pentagon about 100 F-35As — the version flown by the U.S. Air Force and most allies — for less than $80 million each, down from $89.5 million apiece in the deal signed last September. That price point suggests the company will meet its 2020 price targets for the warplane, whose lengthy development and higher-than-expected initial costs have drawn much criticism.
The 100 F-35A are part of a block buy of three production lots of the jets — in all, roughly 450 jets. The order will include F-35Bs for the Marine Corps, F-35Cs for the U.S. Navy, and a variety of the jets for allies.
“We currently have an offer submitted to the Department of Defense for Lots 12-14 that is below the $80 million F-35A for lot 14 in 2020, per our longstanding commitment,” company spokesman Mike Friedman wrote in an email Tuesday. “This represents equal or less than the procurement cost of legacy jets, while providing a generational leap in capability.”
The latest round of F-35 negotiations come as the Air Force is planning to buy new Boeing-made F-15 Eagle fighters for the first time in two decades. While the new Eagles would replace existing F-15s, Lockheed has arguedthe F-35 is a cheaper alternative and offers stealth and other technology that comes standard in a more modern, fifth-generation warplane.
The proposed purchase of three batches of jets simultaneously is meant to get a better price than past years' annual purchases of a few dozen of the jets. A 2018 Rand study put the potential savings at more than $2 billion.
Lockheed has delivered more than 385 F-35s to the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and American allies.
“As we ramp up production, each year we have lowered cost, reduced build time, improved quality and on time delivery,” Friedman said. “Moving forward, we are focused on and taking action to further reduce costs across both production and sustainment.”
https://www.defenseone.com/business/2019/05/price-drop-lockheed-pitches-80m-f-35a-pentagon/156825
On the same subject
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October 10, 2018 | International, Naval
Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - October 9, 2018
NAVY NAVMAR Applied Sciences Corp.,* Warminster, Pennsylvania, is awarded $7,707,370 for cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order N6833519F0432 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N68335-15-G-0013). This delivery order provides for the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase III work that derives from, extends, or completes an effort performed under SBIR Topics N08-008 entitled “Commandable Mobile Anti-Submarine Warfare Sensor,” N08-023 titled “Precision High Altitude Sonobuoy Emplacement,” and N101-042 titled “Environmental Wideband Acoustic Receiver and Source.” The tasks include performance modeling and simulation, fabrication, component integration, test, training, and prototype procurement activities in support of the Extended Life Sonobuoy/Automated Extended Life Sonobuoy program. Work will be performed in Warminster, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed in October 2022. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,690,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1657693/
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March 18, 2022 | International, Aerospace, Naval, C4ISR
Lockheed Martin making final push for Greek frigate construction, modernization work
Greece has already committed to buying three French frigates -- but there are still a lot of gaps in its surface modernization program that Lockheed Martin is trying to fill, now that talks with Greece have been extended for six more months.