Forum: General F-35 Forum

Lockheed Gets Approval of Next F-35 Production Contract By Tony Capaccio - Jul 7, 2012

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-0 ... tract.html

"Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) received approval for a sixth production contract of F-35 aircraft, the Pentagon’s largest weapons program.

Undersecretary for AcquisitionFrank Kendall in a two-page Acquisition Decision Memo yesterday approved proceeding with the next contract for as many as 36 aircraft, including 23 Air Force versions, seven aircraft carrier models and six Marine Corps short-takeoff and vertical-landing models. The contract includes five for international customers.

Kendall approved a strategy that “bases aircraft procurement quantities upon development and test progress” as well as progress Lockheed Martin makes reducing the cost to retrofit aircraft to correct deficiencies uncovered in flight tests....

...Control Strategy
Under the plan, the Pentagon F-35 program office could proceed with putting under contract 25 of the 31 U.S. planes Kendall authorized. Six wouldn’t be put on contract until the Bethesda, Maryland-based company meets at least five criteria.

“This strategy provides a means to have control -- a dial -- on production that is informed by demonstrated performance against the 2012 plan,” the F-35 program manager, Vice Admiral David Venlet, told the House Armed Services Committee in May, previewing the strategy Kendall approved....

...Controlling Costs
A fifth contract remains under negotiation. Kendall wrote that his decision for the sixth contract going forward was contingent on him receiving an update on a “recommended agreement” for the fifth contract...."

IT IS COMPLICATED so best to read the entire post at the URL - tah. Shocked

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Forum: General F-35 Forum

Lockheed Gets Approval Next F-35 Production Contract LRIP 6