Lockheed Martin contracted for F-35 flight testing and nuclear capability
By: Stephen Carlson for Space Daily, Nov. 16, 2019
The Department of Defense is awarding Lockheed Martin $349 million to provide infrastructure for laboratories and flight testing in support of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.
The contract will run through March 2020 under fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funding from the three participating services and non-Defense Department participants, according to a government announcement
In a second award, Lockheed Martin is receiving $83.1 million from the Air Force for development and
testing of equipment for F-35A nuclear capability. It’s known as making a aircraft “dual-capable,” being able to deliver both conventional and nuclear weapons.
The development and requisite testing and certification for nuclear capability in the F-35A is expected to last until February 2024. A total of $24.6 million in Air Force fiscal 2019 research and development funds were obligated upon issue of the contract.
The Air Force plans to mount the B-61-12 nuclear gravity bomb on the F-35, thus integrating it into the air-delivered leg of the “nuclear triad” which also includes sea and land-based missiles.
