The Pentagon awarded Lockheed Martin a $1.27 billion not-to-exceed undefinitized modification to a previously awarded F-35 low-rate initial production contract, according to a contract announcement. The modification will provide for the delivery of three F-35As for the Air Force, six F-35Bs for the Marine Corps, and four F-35Cs for the Navy, the announcement states. Work is expected to be finished by December 2019. The contract modification provides for aircraft added in the Fiscal 2016 budget deliberations process, and combines F-35 buys for the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps.
The KC-Z4, a blended wing body tanker concept being developed by startup JetZero, could fuel larger groups of aircraft at longer range to hold more targets at risk, company officials say.