Lockheed Martin Had a Happy Holiday – Executives at Lockheed Martin had much to be merry about this holiday season, as the United States Department of Defense (DoD) announced on Friday that it had awarded over a billion dollars to the aerospace and defense giant.
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That followed a previous Pentagon contract worth $431 million to deliver a new High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and support services for the United States Army as well as its foreign allies.
“This contract procures long lead time materials, parts, components, and efforts necessary to maintain on-time production and delivery of 118 Lot 18 aircraft F-35 aircraft for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, non-U.S Department of Defense participants, and Foreign Military Sales customers,” the DoD said of the $1.05 billion Lockheed Martin contract award.
Work will be performed at a number of the defense contractor’s facilities, with the bulk being conducted in Fort Worth, Texas. The rest will be spread across El Segundo, California; Orlando, Florida; Nashua, New Hampshire; Baltimore, Maryland; and San Diego, California – while Warton, United Kingdom; and Nagoya, Japan, are among the overseas locations. The program is expected to be completed by January 2024.
Lockheed Martin Foreign Sales Soaring
The F-35 Lightning II has proven to be the most successful aircraft program of the post-Cold War era as a multitude of U.S. allies and partners around the world have adapted the fifth-generation stealth fighter.
To date, the F-35 operates from 26 bases worldwide, with nine nations operating F-35s on their home soil.
There are now more than 875 F-35s in service today, with more than 1,845 pilots and 13,350 maintainers trained on the aircraft.
Just this month, Germany became one of the latest NATO members to announce it would procure a fleet of Lightning IIs for its air force.
“Congratulations to Germany on procuring the F-35A. Germany is the ninth foreign military sales country to join the program,” said Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt, F-35 Program Executive Officer. “We look forward to working with them to deliver the F-35 Air System to meet their national defense requirements.”
The agreement with Berlin further includes a comprehensive package of engines, role-specific mission equipment, spare and replacement parts, technical and logistic support, training, and armament.
“It is an honor to formally welcome Germany to the F-35 Lightning II Program. Germany’s participation ensures the F-35’s European alliance continues to strengthen and grow through interoperability with NATO and ally nations,” said Bridget Lauderdale, Lockheed Martin’s vice president and general manager of the F-35 program.
“The F-35 is the most advanced, survivable, best value fighter giving pilots the critical advantage against any adversary, enabling them to execute their mission and safely return home.”
HIMARS Production
The nearly half-billion dollar contract for the U.S. Army to produce the M142 HIMARS at full rate production is also meant to replenish the stocks of the U.S. and its allies and partners who sent arms to aid Ukraine. That contract will support both the Army and various Foreign Military Sales partners.
“The Department continues to focus on accelerating contracting actions and providing a persistent demand signal to our partners in industry,” said Bill LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment. “This award is another example of the steps we are taking to replenish stockpiles and strengthen the industrial base.”
The Ukrainian military, which has received a number of HIMARS systems from the Americans, has used the weapon to successfully destroy Russian targets.
Author Experience and Expertise: A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
