Lockheed awarded $1.5B contract for work on F-35 air systems

March 14 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin Corp. was awarded a $1.46 billion contract by the Department of Defense for work on the F-35 Lightning II's air system.

The contract, announced Tuesday by the Pentagon, is for long lead material and parts for low rate initial production for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, non-DoD participants and foreign military sales customers.

The work, which is expected to be complete this December, will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas; El Segundo, Calif., Orlando, Fla.,Nashua, N.H., Baltimore, Md., Warton, Britain, and Nagoya, Japan.

The total amount of the contract will be obligated to Lockheed at the time of the award through 2017 advanced procurement in the Navy and Air Force, fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement in the Marine Corps as well as non-DoD participants and FMS. None of the funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

The total cost for each branch is $348.6 million for the Air Force, $165.9 million for the Marine Corps and $47.7 million for the Navy, in addition to $636.9 million for non-Department of Defense participants.

The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

The F-35 Lightning II, referred to as a fifth Generation fighter, includes stealth capabilities, fighter aircraft speed and agility.

At least 280 of the planes have been delivered, according to Lockheed Martin.