Americas
The Navy awarded Lockheed Martin with a $1.9 billion deal, which procures recurring logistics services for delivered F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Air Systems. The contract is in support of the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy as well as non-DoD participants and Foreign Military Sales customers. Services to be provided include ground maintenance activities, action request resolution, depot activation activities, automatic logistics information system operations and maintenance, reliability, maintainability and health management implementation and support, supply chain management and activities to provide and support pilot and maintainer initial training. On December 30, Lockheed Martin reached its 2019 target to deliver 131 F-35 fighter jets to the United States and its allies, as the defense contractor built 47% more jets this year. The world’s largest defense contractor delivered a total of 134 of the stealthy jets this year and aims to deliver 141 F-35s in 2020. Work under the $1.9 billion contract will take place in Texas, Florida, South Carolina, California as well as the UK. Estimated completion date is in December 2020.
Lockheed Martin won a $138.5 million contract to exercise options for AEGIS Combat System Engineering Agent (CSEA) efforts for the design, development, integration, test and delivery of Advanced Capability Build (ACB) 20. Under this contract, the AEGIS CSEA develops, integrates, tests and delivers computer program baseline Advanced Capability Builds; supports Technology Insertions (TI) (a replacement and/or upgrade of combat system computing hardware and associated middleware/firmware-design development); develops engineering products to support ship integration; supports developmental test/operational test events; develops training and logistics products; and provides field technical support for designated AEGIS baselines. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for Aegis CSEA efforts. The systems engineering, development and integration work under this contract will begin with Advanced Capability Build (ACB) 16 and technology insertion 16, and continue with a future ACB/TI through the period of performance of the contract. Work will take place in Moorestown, New Jersey. Estimated completion will be by December 2020.
Middle East & Africa
SOS International LLC won a $124.2 million contract modification for base life support and security services at Camp Taji Green Zone, in support of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve. The deal is to enhance security at the US base north of Baghdad. In June, the US-led coalition in Iraq and Syria confirmed that rockets landed inside the base but no soldiers were killed or wounded. Work will take place in Taji, Iraq. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $ 42,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award.
The US Army Contracting Command awarded Lockheed Martin a $114 million for accelerated delivery for Foreign Military Sales to the United Arab Emirates of Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target Advanced Capability-3 missiles with associated ground support equipment and initial spares. The accelerated delivery of its Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept of Target (PATRIOT) Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles calls for sales of Lockheed’s guided air and missile defense system, ground support equipment and spares to the United Arab Emirates, with work expected to be completed by December 31, 2024. The success of the PAC-3 missile helped Lockheed executives raise their 2019 sales guidance for the company’s Missiles and Fire Control business segment to $9.95 billion in October.
Europe
According to local media, Estonian Defense Minister Jüri Luik, Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks, and the Finnish Permanent Defense Secretary Jukka Juusti signed a letter of intent in Tallinn on December 17 for a joint AFV research and development. “The letter of intent signed today is the beginning of the joint undertaking between Estonia, Latvia, and Finland in acquiring new armored vehicles. We have agreed to carry out joint research and development,” Luik said. “We have a very positive long-term relationship with Finland in procurement and have bought self-propelled artillery and radar systems together. We want to extend this co-operation to Latvia,” he explained further.
Asia-Pacific
Indonesian aerospace company PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) unveiled a prototype of an indigenously developed medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The strike-capable UAV, which has been dubbed Elang Hitam or Black Eagle, was unveiled to the public on December 30 at PTDI’s facilities in Bandung. The platform is the product of an Indonesian consortium that includes state-owned electronics company PT Len, the Indonesian Air Force (Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan Udara: TNI-AU), and the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space. The Elang Hitam is 8.65 m long, 2.6 m high, has a wingspan of 16 m, and has incorporated several design aspects of China’s CH-4 UAV.
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