Lockheed nabs $818.2M to produce JASSMs for Air Force, allies

April 1 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin has been awarded an $818.2 million contract for production of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles for the U.S. Air Force and allied militaries, according to the Pentagon.

Under the contract Lockheed will produce 360 Lot 17 JASSM-Extended Range missiles, 40 Lot 17 Foreign Military Sales JASSM-ER missiles and 390 Lot 18 JASSM-ER missiles.

The deal is funded in part by fiscal year 2018 procurement funds -- to the tune of $767.4 million -- as well as $50.7 million in money from the Department of Defense's Foreign Military Sales program.

It's unclear who will purchase the missiles produced through FMS under the current contract, but in August 2019 Lockheed received a contract to produce JASSM for Poland, Finland and Australia.

The JASSM is a 2,000-pound long-range, air-to-ground standoff missile designed to destroy high-value, well-defended, fixed and relocatable targets.

The missiles will be produced in Orlando, Fla., and production is expected to be complete on Oct. 31, 2024.

This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition.