Air Force kicks off $409M air engine power contract with Lockheed award
By
Ross Wilkers
The Air Force kicks off its potential seven-year, $409 million contract for new air platform and engine controls with an initial award to Lockheed Martin.
The Air Force has started awards of positions on a potential seven-year, $409 million contract to build thermal, power and control technologies for use on air platforms and engines.
Lockheed Martin won the first spot on the Next Generation Thermal, Power, and Controls program that received seven proposals, the Defense Department said Friday. Multiple awards are anticipated by the third quarter of this calendar year, according to Deltek.
Multiple government agencies and industry participants will work with the Air Force Research Laboratory to carry out applied research into new technologies and architectures. The NGT-PAC effort aims to facilitate the creation of new engines along with both manned and unmanned aircraft, according to solicitation documents.
Work under the program's airframer objective also includes examination of how to integrate a high-power laser into an existing combat aircraft. The engine objective focuses on how to retrofit dual spool power extraction systems into a fighter or bomber's engine, Deltek says.
Contract work will take place through July 31, 2024.