Non-Subscriber Extract
Lockheed Martin to set 'not to exceed' price for JSF
By Julian Kerr
11 February 2009
Lockheed Martin plans to provide the eight international partners in the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) development programme with a 'not to exceed' price for the aircraft by May under a possible five-year consortium contract.
An Australian Department of Defence (DoD) spokesperson told Jane's on 9 February that the JSF programme office is encouraging the partners to continue working with Lockheed Martin, which was planning to provide a quantitative analysis of the benefits of the consortium-buy together with the 'not to exceed' price.
Discussion is continuing and Australia is a strong supporter of pursuing the consortium buy approach, the spokesperson said.
Susan Kiehl, director of Lockheed Martin's JSF international business development, said that Air Vice-Marshal John Harvey, director of Australia's JSF programme, had asked the company to convene a meeting within six weeks to discuss the processes and procedures behind such a contract with the international partners.
Image: Lockheed Martin is looking at the benefits of a consortium-buy approach for the JSF (Lockheed Martin)