The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command awarded Lockheed Martin [LMT] a $3.7 billion modification to a previously awarded Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot 11 F-35 advance acquisition contract for additional aircraft, the Defense Department said Friday.
This undefinitized not-to-exceed modification provides for the procurement of 50 aircraft for non-DoD participants and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. This comprises one F-35B for the United Kingdom, one F-35A for Italy, eight F-35As for Australia, eight F-35As for the Netherlands, four F-35As for Turkey, six F-35As for Norway, and 22 F-35As for FMS customers.
The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) said including this modification, Lot 11 production will produce a total of 141 F-35s. Deliveries are set from 2019 to 2020. Now the total F-35A from this production will include a total of 91 F-35s for the U.S. services, 28 F-35s for International Partners and 22 F-35s for FMS customers.
The modification also adds scope for mission equipment and chase maintenance activity for these international participants as well as for the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy.
The contract work is expected to be completed by Dec. 2020. DoD said $2.2 billion in funding is being obligated at award time. The contract combines purchases for the Air Force (0.6 percent), Navy (0.1 percent), Marine Corps (0.1 percent), international partner nations (56.1 percent), and FMS countries (43.1 percent).
The JPO said final aircraft prices for each customer’s variant will be determined upon final negotiations targeted for the end of 2017. “We are confident that the final negotiated Lot 11 aircraft unit prices will be less than Lot 10,” JPO said in a statement.
JPO also noted , a separate Lot 11 propulsion contract between the JPO and United Technologies‘ [UTX] Pratt & Whitney is currently being negotiated.
The office expects the finish negotiations and definitize both LRIP Lot 11 contracts with Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney by the end of 2017.
The Defense Department earlier this month awarded Lockheed Martin an initial LRIP 11 contract worth $5.6 billion, for 91 aircraft. The modification issued last Friday brings the total order to 141 fighters.