Lockheed, Boeing, Northrop get nod for A-10 upgrades

Jun 11, 2009 7:41pm EDT
Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N), Boeing Co (BA.N) and Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC.N) have won indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts to sustain and modernize the Air Force's fleet of A-10 Warthog fighter jets, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

The contract, which runs for four years, will allow the Air Force to choose among the three companies, the Pentagon's three largest contractors, for specific sustainment or upgrade work as needs arise.

The Defense Department did not specify the value of the overall A-10 upgrade contract, but Boeing said it could be worth up to $1.6 billion over the next four years.

Boeing won a $2 billion contract to build up to 242 replacement wing sets for the A-10 aircraft in June 2007.

The twin-engine, single-seat A-10 was first introduced into the Air Force inventory in 1976, and is currently in use in Iraq and Afghanistan. It provides close-air support of ground forces and employs a wide variety of conventional munitions, including general-purpose bombs.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

Source