The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $100.5 million contract to supply an undisclosed amount of Paveway II Plus laser guidance kits for 500-pound bombs. These GBU-12 kits are part of an overall $475 million, five-year, firm-fixed price, multiple-award contract announced on Aug. 1. They are designed to offer improved impact-point accuracy compared to previous Paveway versions, helping to reduce risks to US and allied ground forces as a result, according to a company release. “The Lockheed Martin Paveway II Plus LGB raises the bar in performance for Paveway II accuracy and precision,” said Joe Serra, the company’s senior manager for precision guided systems. “This contract is a testament to our commitment to continuous product improvement, combined with our ability to deliver a better performing product to our customer at the lowest cost.”
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design, the Air Force said.