Companies Determining Next Steps In The Process

Boeing and Lockheed Martin, which had joined together to bid on the Air Force Long Range Strike Bomber program awarded Tuesday to Northrop Grumman, released a joint statement following the award.

"The Boeing and Lockheed Martin team is disappointed by today’s announcement," the companies said. "We will have further discussions with our customer before determining our next steps.

"We are interested in knowing how the competition was scored in terms of price and risk, as we believe that the combination of Boeing and Lockheed Martin offers unparalleled experience, capability and resources for this critically important recapitalization program."

According to the Air Force, the Air Force program office conducted design efforts with industry over the last three years to ensure requirements for the aircraft were stable and allowed for the use of mature systems and existing technology while still providing desired capability.

With that said, agile acquisition processes have been built into the LRS-B development and production efforts to ensure the Air Force delivers system capabilities for the best value. The program also effectively incentivizes industry to achieve cost, schedule and performance goals.

"The Air Force has made the right decision for our nation's security," said Wes Bush, chairman, chief executive officer and president, Northrop Grumman, in a statement following the announcement. "As the company that developed and delivered the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, we look forward to providing the Air Force with a highly-capable and affordable next-generation Long-Range Strike Bomber."

FMI: www.boeing.com, www.lockheedmartin.com, www.northropgrumman.com, www.af.mil