Lockheed Martin Wins Air Force Contract To Sustain Minuteman III

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Lockheed Martin’s King of Prussia operation has won a $109 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for sustainment of the reentry subsystem for the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The base contract is one year, and with options for an additional four years, the total potential contract value is $452 million, the company said in a news release. For the local work force that sounds like job security – and an international challenge.

Last year Matthew Vanderschuere, a Minuteman III launch officer, said in an online Time piece, the Minuteman nuclear fleet was on its last legs.

He also said, “If we’re serious about ensuring nuclear weapons are never used in anger, we’re going to have to make some tough — and long-overdue — choices that keep our record of peaceful coexistence with other nuclear powers intact.”

During the next one to four years Lockheed will repair, modify and test hardware and software components in the reentry system-reentry vehicle (RS-RV) subsystem, as well as related support equipment. The contract is part of the Air Force’s Future ICBM Sustainment and Acquisition Construct, designed to ensure a safe, secure and reliable Minuteman III weapon system through 2030.

Some of the work will also be done at Hill Air Force Base. Lockheed Martin has been the principal designer, manufacturer and sustainer of Minuteman III reentry systems since the 1960s.

“This award represents an exciting new chapter in Lockheed Martin’s 50-year partnership with the Air Force ICBM enterprise,” said Doug Graham, vice president of ICBM and advanced programs at Lockheed. “This new contract will enable us to directly apply our specialized expertise to more effectively support this critical national mission area.”

Lockheed is a global security and aerospace company employing approximately 113,000 people worldwide. A look at the company’s web site says its values are: doing what’s right, respecting others, and performing with excellence – arguably good values for people working with nuclear technology. The corporation’s net sales for 2013 were $45.4 billion.

 

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