The Air Force has settled its evolved expendable launch vehicle contract negotiations with Boeing, awarding the company a $674 million contract covering four Delta IV launches per year over a 16-month period that began June 1, 2006 and ends Sept. 30, 2007. USAF already had finalized its EELV contract with Lockheed Martin, awarding $815 million for a 24-month period that began Oct. 1, 2005 and runs through Sept. 30, 2007. The Boeing action should clear the way for the recently FTC-approved United Launch Alliance to take off.
Boeing received a $2.47 billion Air Force contract Nov. 25 for 15 more KC-46s, bringing to 183 the number of Pegasus tankers on contract to all customers, foreign and domestic. The new contract—for Lot 12 of the initially planned KC-46 buy—is to be completed by 2029.
