Lockheed Martin received an undefinitized modification to the previously awarded advance acquisition contract for the F-35 strike fighter’s sixth low-rate initial production lot, announced the Pentagon on Monday. This modification may not exceed $852.3 million, states the description included in the Pentagon’s list of major contracts for Aug. 12. “This modification provides for the procurement of special tooling and special test equipment for the Navy, Air Force, and the international partners, which is critical to preserving the current F-35 delivery schedules and meeting future production rates,” states the description. Work under this agreement is expected to be completed in December 2016. Last month, Pentagon officials announced that they had reached agreement in principle with Lockheed Martin for the F-35 LRIP 6 and LRIP 7 production contracts. In those lots, the company is slated to build 36 and 35 jets, respectively.
The Space Development Agency says it’s on track to issue its next batch of missile warning and tracking satellite contracts this month after those awards were delayed by the Pentagon’s decision to divert funds from the agency to pay troops during this fall’s prolonged government shutdown.
