The plan to merge the two launch services of Lockheed Martin and Boeing may have hit a snag. Although the Air Force initially signaled its approval, expecting to reap savings in launching national security payloads, service officials have joined with the Federal Trade Commission in seeking specifics on anticipated savings. When the companies paired up to present the United Launch Alliance venture in May, they predicted savings of up to $150 million a year. Now regulators conducting an atitrust investigation want to see how they arrived at the number.
The Air Force and Navy have briefed President Donald Trump on their respective Next-Generation Air Dominance programs, asking that the projects proceed largely as they now stand, government and industry sources told Air & Space Forces Magazine. It’s not clear whether the services came away with firm decisions about the…