Northrop Receives $20M to Support F-5 Aircraft Family

T-38A Talon(click to view full) Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. in El Segundo, CA received a $20 million indefinite delivery/ indefinite quantity contract to provide for T-38 and F-5 Weapon Systems Engineering Services in the US. The F-5 “Tiger/ Freedom Fighter” was first fielded in 1962, as an affordable supersonic lightweight fighter that could be exported to US allies around the world. Many militaries fly them to this day. The T-38 Talon is a derivative of the F-5 used in a variety of training and support roles because of its economy of operations (recent estimates show that the F-5’s operational costs are 33% of an F/A-18’s), ease of maintenance, supersonic performance and safety record. In the USA, F-5 derivatives like the T-38 used primarily by Air Education and Training Command for undergraduate pilot and pilot instructor training, Air Combat Command, Air Mobility Command and NASA. Work on this contract will be complete by February 2012. Solicitation began June 2005 and negotiations were completed September 2005. The Headquarters Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill Air Force Base, UT issued the contract (FA8202-05-D-0004).