Lockheed Martin on Dec. 15 received a new contract and the Air Force extended a second worth a total of about $60 million to revitalize the Air Force’s Minuteman III re-entry systems. The awards include a $50 million, four-year fixed price contract covering seven reentry field support equipment units and additional support equipment. Another $10.6 million contract extends an existing deal for ICBM reentry vehicle integration and modernization, according to a Lockheed release. The contracts come as the Air Force seeks to modernize its Minuteman III fleet to keep it viable until its replacement. A request for proposal for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent system went out this fall, with development expected in the late 2020s, and an expected cost of about $62 billion.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
