The Air Force awarded Boeing an additional $1.5 billion for Joint Direct Attack Munition tail kits, making the total deal worth $3.2 billion, according to a May 31 release. The fixed-price, incentive-firm, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract modification almost doubles the original $1.75 billion contract, awarded in October 2014, “due to warfighter demand and to replenish depleted inventories,” according to the release. Work is expected to be complete by September 2020. An unspecified number of the tail kits will be sold to foreign militaries, according to the release. The Air Force stockpiles are running low because precision-guided munitions are the weapon of choice among the Operation Inherent Resolve coalition allies. In March, the service awarded Boeing a $326 million contract for 15,000 JDAM tail kits. Last week, Lt. Gen. Charles Brown, commander of Air Forces Central Command, said the number of weapons available in the ISIS fight is “still a concern,” and the service would be buying more over the next five years. But because the orders will take two years to fill, the service is analyzing whether it can take weapons from other combatant commands’ stockpiles in the meantime. (See also: Return of Lend-Lease.)
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
