Lockheed Martin awarded USD15 billion for future C-130J work

Lockheed Martin has been awarded USD15 billion to support all remaining C-130J Hercules work through to 16 July 2030.

A formation of US Air Force C-130Js fly towards a drop zone during an exercise. Lockheed Martin has been awarded USD15 billion to cover work through to 2030, which follows an earlier 2016 award for USD10 billion to cover production through to 2016. (US Air Force)

The indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract, which was announced by the US Department of Defense (DoD) on 17 July, covers domestic and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) work related to the four-engined airlifter built at the company’s Marietta facility in Georgia.

“This contract provides flexibility to accommodate the broad enterprise of activities associated with the C-130J programme,” the DoD said, noting that it specifically covers development, integration, retrofit, and production activities for all C-130J variants.

The DoD added that fiscal year (FY) 2018 and 2019 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of USD3.3 million were being obligated at the time of award.

This award follows a similar IDIQ agreement for USD10 billion signed with Lockheed Martin in August 2016. At that time, the DoD said the contract covered the production of an estimated 100 C-130Js for the United States and FMS customers. It would appear from the overlap in scope and timelines between the two awards that this latest contract is an extension and an expansion of the earlier one.