Pentagon anticipates awarding F-35 contract in first quarter of 2017

The Pentagon recently announced it anticipates awarding a contract to Lockheed Martin in the first quarter of calendar year 2017 for Joint Strike Fighter Lots 12-14.

The proposed contract actions will provide for 100 F-35A conventional-takeoff-and-landing jets, 26 F-35B short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing aircraft and six F-35C carrier variant jets in Lot 12.

Lot 13 includes 104 F-35As, 26 F-35Bs and 12 F-35Cs. Lot 14 provides for 88 F-35As, 30 F-35Bs and 18 F-35Cs, according to a June 16 presolicitation notice posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website.

"Contract actions will provide for long lead time materials, parts, components, and effort; Ancillary Mission Equipment (AME); Production Non-Recurring (PNR) activities to support the F-35 production ramp rate including tooling, test equipment, production aids, production equipment, and support labor; technical, financial and administrative data; and proposal preparation," the notice reads, adding: "Contract actions will also provide for associated sustainment support including spares, support equipment, non-recurring autonomic logistics sustainment activities, training, Autonomic Logistics Information Systems (ALIS) hardware, depot activation, Performance Based Logistics (PBL) operations, and maintenance for all F-35A, F-35B, and F-35C aircraft; and all efforts associated with the procurement of hardware for and sustainment of Joint Reprogramming Enterprise (JRE)."