Pentagon Contract Announcement

Pentagon Contract Announcement(NSI News Source Info) August 28, 2008: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Marietta, Ga., is being awarded a $129,259,000 not-to-exceed undefinitized contract action (UCA) for the fabrication and delivery of 13 P-3 Outer Wing Assembly (OWA) kits in support of the P-3 recovery plan. Work will be performed in Marietta, Ga., and is expected to be completed in December 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity (N00019-08-C-0066). The USA’s aging aircraft problem spans a number of fleets, from aerial tankers, to fighters, to tactical transports. One may argue, however, that its most severe problem lies with its fleet of Lockheed Martin P-3 maritime patrol aircraft. Not only was the global P-3 fleet produced between 1962-1990, the aircraft have often been flown at low altitudes in a salt-spray environment. This is not a recipe for aircraft health. Rear Adm. Holmes’ 2005 interview confirms the seriousness of the situation. The US Navy keeps retiring aircraft, and is trying to hang on until its P-8A Poseidon/ BAMS UAV successors are fielded. That is proving to be difficult, to the point that Boeing is reportedly being asked to speed up P-8 production and fielding. Meanwhile, the P-3 Recovery Plan is part of a range of efforts designed to keep the P-3s in the air. A pair of contracts over the last week provide a glimpse into the program’s scope: