L-3 awarded $79.3M contract to support Air Force Jayhawks

Dec. 11 (UPI) -- L-3 Communications was awarded more than $79.3 million by the Pentagon to support the U.S. Air Force's fleet of 178 T-1A Jayhawk training aircraft, a medium-range, twin-engine jet trainer.

The deal, announced Friday by the Department of Defense, is under the terms of a firm-fixed-price contract for "contractor operated and maintained base supply of the Air Education and Training Command fleet of 178 T-1A trainer aircraft."

The U.S. Air Force uses the T-1A Jayhawk aircraft for advanced training of undergraduate student pilots that have been selected to fly airlift or tanker aircraft and train pilots in navigational techniques.

Work on the contract will occur at several different U.S. Air Force bases, including a naval installation, and is expected to be completed in June 2018.

Defense Department fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance funds of more than $1.5 million have been obligated to L-3 Communications at the time of award.

Friday's contract award comes just one day after L-3 Communications was awarded a $10.2 million contract for logistics support of the T-1A aircraft.