The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin “more than $50 million” on March 3 for a contract to perform launch and range operations on the East and West Coast, mission integration, systems engineering and program management, subcontract work, factory support engineering, and special studies—everything short of the launch itself. That comes in a separate contract, according to Florida Today, which noted that the exact amount of this contract is under wraps until USAF reaches a similar agreement with Boeing.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.