Lockheed Martin Poised to Win Orders for Up to 71 F-35s

[TexasTowelie]

Source: Bloomberg

Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) may receive a U.S. order in June for as many as 60 F-35 jets, consolidating the sixth and seven production contracts for the costliest weapons system, according to the Pentagon’s program manager

The contract may be valued at about $9 billion, according to a person familiar with negotiations between the Pentagon and Lockheed who declined to be named discussing the private talks. The number of F-35s may rise to as many as 71 if orders from other nations are included.

“We believe we can have a negotiation settlement” by May 31 “followed by final contract award in June,” Air Force Lieutenant General Christopher Bogdan, manager of the Pentagon’s F-35 program, said in prepared testimony today for a Senate Armed Services Committee panel.

The Pentagon has worked to protect the F-35 from the federal spending cuts called sequestration. Some of the money for the next group of fighters already has been obligated, sparing those funds from the across-the board reductions. Other funds may be subject to the cuts, which Air Force, Navy and Pentagon officials continue to assess.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-24/lockheed-martin-poised-to-win-orders-for-up-to-71-f-35s.html

[msongs]

1. let the peasants starve or get sick and die. Lockheed needs the $$ more nt

[TexasTowelie]

2. Yes, but military industrial complex government jobs are jobs and,

well, you know what they think about everyone else that works for the government.

[Fuddnik]

3. What a fucking waste!

How many schools, teachers, rail systems, highways, and unemployed workers would that boondoggle fund?

Completely bipartisanly disgusted!

[Historic NY]

4. A 1.24 trillon dollar program life boondoggle for a plane that can't do..

what it was designed for and is 10yrs late off the drawing board.

[L0oniX]

5. War is good corporate business.

[Mr. Evil]

6. New war coming soon kids!

No sense in letting them go to waste. Lockheed-Martin and their contemporaries will continue to be propped up at all costs and at our expense. Taliban, radical muslims, al Qaeda, oh my! We can go back to sleep and wait for the next I-Phone to come out.

[nyy1998]

7. Which version of the F-35 did they agree to?

If it was the F-35B then it really was wasteful spending since that project is such a colossal mess(and even certain generals aren't too keen on getting it). If it's the other versions, they were pretty much in line to buy those planes from the beginning.

[Ash_F]

8. Ah yes, soon we will be able to show those date groves who's boss. /nt

[Blue_Tires]

9. Shouldn't they make sure the jet actually WORKS first?

[Posteritatis]

10. Bit down from the thousands they wanted to sell, huh? (nt)