The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin should reach agreement “in the summer timeframe” on a price for Lot 8 low-rate initial production of F-35 strike fighters, said Lorraine Martin, the company’s F-35 program manager, on Monday. She also suggested the deal could be announced as soon as the Farnborough Air Show, which takes place July 14-20 outside of London. At the company’s June 9 media day in Arlington, Va., Martin said “we do expect each LRIP lot will cost less” than the one before it. Lots 6 and 7, which the parties negotiated last year, established prices four percent lower, respectively, than the preceding lots. Asked about prospects for a Farnborough announcement, Martin said, “I like to get things behind me … as quickly as possible.”
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.
