Orlando Sentinel February 24, 2010
New Army deal boosts Lockheed Orlando unit to $550 million since early January
By Richard Burnett
Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Orlando missiles unit said Wednesday it has received an Army deal potentially worth $90 million to perform maintenance, repair and other support services for the Apache helicopter's weapons system.
The one-year contract is the latest of a flurry of big defense deals – cumulatively worth nearly $550 million - for Lockheed Missiles & Fire Control Orlando since early January.
Terms of the new contract call for Lockheed's largest operation in Florida to provide spare parts, modifications, supply chain management and other support work for the Apache's weapons-targeting and navigation system. The Lockheed unit employs about 4,000 in Orlando.
Its support work is considered critical for the battle readiness of the Apache fleet, which has played a prominent role in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In recent years, Lockheed has now received contracts worth more than $373 million for its support work on the Apache's Targeting, Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor and an advanced version known as Arrowhead.
Lockheed Missiles' other contracts so far this year included a $245 million Air Force deal to build advanced tactical cruise missiles, known as the Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile; and a $118 million deal to make fighter jet weapons-targeting systems for Turkey.
It also landed a contract worth nearly $50 million to produce Arrowhead weapons-targeting units for the United Kingdom's Apache fleet; and its joint venture with Northrop Grumman Corp. won an $86 million contract to perform maintenance and other support services for the UK's Longbow Apache.
Defense expert John Pike said the flurry of business is evidence that the Pentagon still plans to provide ample funding to heavy military hardware even as the Obama administration puts a new emphasis on urban warfare funding.
"I think it shows that the people who said it is going to be all hearts-and-minds counterinsurgency are a bit off base," said Pike, the founder of Globalsecurity.org, a research firm in Washington. "We may be fighting a low-intensity conflict in Afghanistan, but we are still preparing to fight a high intensity one."
Richard Burnett can be reached at rburnett@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5256.
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