Boeing, Lockheed team up for new US Air Force bomber
Boeing and Lockheed Martin said Friday they have teamed up to bid for a new $55 billion US Air Force bomber program aimed at replacing the aging bomber fleet.
Boeing is acting as the prime contractor, and Lockheed is the main teammate in the bid to supply the Air Force's Long-Range Strike Bomber program, the companies said in a joint statement. "Boeing and Lockheed Martin are bringing together the best of the two enterprises, and the rest of industry, in support of the Long-Range Strike Bomber program, and we are honored to support our US Air Force customer and this important national priority," said Dennis Muilenburg, president and chief executive of Boeing Defense, Space & Security. Air force spokesman Ed Gulick said the program aims to build between 80 and 100 of the new, long-range stealthy bombers. "The LRS-B program is a top modernization priority for the Air Force and critical to our national security. The Air Force looks forward to working with all participating industry partners on this very important program," he said. The cost of each plane is about $550 million, he said, putting the total value of the program if all 100 planes are built at $55 billion. Deliveries are due to begin in the mid 2020s, "before the current aging fleet goes out of service," he said.
