B-52 Contract Worth Nearly $12 Billion Over Eight Years

The U.S. Air Force has awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract for B-52 Stratofortress weapon system modernization to Boeing. The award is reportedly worth nearly $12 billion.

B-52 Stratofortress File Photo

"This B-52 modernization contract will include several delivery orders over an eight-year period," Boeing said in a statement following the announcement. "The Air Force announced a contract ceiling of $11.9 billion. This is a contracting vehicle that will allow engineering sustaining contracts, studies, production and other activities to occur in support of the B-52. No funds were committed with this contract announcement. We expect our first delivery order to be awarded on September 30."

The B-52 has been in service for more than half a century, and has seen combat operations in Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, and Afghanistan.

In a related development, the company announced Wednesday it has received a contract from the Air Force to supply airframe services and support for the A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft fleet. The A-10 Scheduled Structural Inspection (SSI) 2012 contract covers development tasks and hardware deliveries in support of the Air Force Depot's implementation of A-10 SSI fuselage repairs. The two-year contract is valued at $5.7 million.

A-10 Thunderbolt "Warthog" File Photo

The contract calls for Boeing to plan all details of the repairs, including processes, tooling, work instructions, quality assurance, and training materials. Boeing also will repair prototype fuselages before training Air Force personnel and supporting the service's repairs on operational aircraft. All operational repair activity will be performed by the Air Force at current A-10 depots.

"Boeing appreciates the confidence the Air Force has in our ability to continue to ensure that the A-10 Thunderbolt II is viable now and into the future," said Steve Waltman, director of Aircraft Sustainment & Maintenance, a subdivision of Boeing Global Services & Support's Maintenance, Modifications & Upgrades division.

This is the fourth competitive A-10 Thunderbolt Life-Cycle Program Support Task/Delivery Order contract the Air Force has awarded to Boeing, in addition to the $2 billion A-10 Wing Replacement Program (WRP) in June 2007. The WRP program includes engineering services and the manufacture of up to 242 A-10 wing sets.

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