All
Suppliers
Products
CAD Models
Diverse Suppliers
Insights
By Category, Company or Brand
All Regions
Alabama
Alaska
Alberta
Arizona
Arkansas
British Columbia
California - Northern
California - Southern
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Manitoba
Maryland
Massachusetts - Eastern
Massachusetts - Western
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Brunswick
New Hampshire
New Jersey - Northern
New Jersey - Southern
New Mexico
New York - Metro
New York - Upstate
Newfoundland & Labrador
North Carolina
North Dakota
Northwest Territories
Nova Scotia
Nunavut
Ohio - Northern
Ohio - Southern
Oklahoma
Ontario
Oregon
Pennsylvania - Eastern
Pennsylvania - Western
Prince Edward Island
Puerto Rico
Quebec
Rhode Island
Saskatchewan
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas - North
Texas - South
Utah
Vermont
Virgin Islands
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Yukon

Military Suppliers End Year on Positive Notes

Jeff Reinke
1/27/2019 | 5 min read
Subscribe
Military Suppliers End Year on Positive Notes

Lockheed Martin, L-3 Communications, and Boeing were among the U.S-based firms that saw 2017 end on a positive note regarding key military manufacturing contracts.

Lockheed Martin announced that it met its delivery goals for the F-35 Lightning II, delivering 66 of the aircraft to U.S. and foreign militaries. These numbers represent a 40 percent increase from last year, and Lockheed said it’s prepared to increase annual production volumes in ramping up to hit goals of 160 aircraft by 2023.

Currently, just under 300 F-35s have been delivered globally, and the company has hired more than 1,300 employees at its Fort Worth, Texas facility since January 2017. Internal production investments and improved processes have helped the company reduce production times by 20 percent since 2015. Manufacturing costs have also decreased by more than 60 percent, bringing the cost for each plane down to $80 million.

Londonderry, New Hampshire-based L-3 Communications was awarded a $79.3M contract in support of the Air Force’s fleet of T-1A Jayhawk training aircraft. The company specializes in communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.

The fleet of 178 Jayhawks is used for advanced training of student pilots that have been selected to fly airlift or tanker aircraft. The work on these planes' navigational equipment will take place at several Air Force bases and should be completed by June 2018.

Finally, the Air Force also awarded Boeing a contract valued at $10.5 million for laser-guided bombs. The small diameter bomb provides four pieces of artillery that consume the same footprint as the larger, 2,000-pound Mark-84 general purpose bomb. The weapon can be deployed from either internal and external carriage systems and is equipped with an advanced navigational system that helps direct the bomb towards a target.

Work pertaining to the contract will be performed in St. Louis and is expected to be completed by March 2019.

Next Up in Industry Trends
DOE to Invest $1.5 Billion to Restore Michigan Nuclear Plant
Show More in Industry Trends