Lockheed Martin Corp. will provide kits and tooling for modifications to the F-35 Lightning II fighter plane air system under a $32.7 million, the Defense Department announed.

The contract, announced Tuesday, calls for procurement of modification kits and special tooling for retrofitting air systems already delivered to the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and non-Defense Department and Foreign Military Sales customers.

Work will be performed at Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth, Texas, facility, with a target completion date of August 2027.

In February the company was awarded a $90 million contract modification to reduce the purchase cost of the aircraft.

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, a former executive of Lockheed Martin competitor Boeing, has been critical of the F-35's price, which currently stands at about $90 million for each aircraft.

The full value of the contract has been obligated to Lockheed at the time of award, with $2.1 million expected to expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

Marine Corps investigates midair collision of two F/A-18 Hornets
Washington (UPI) Mar 6, 2019 - The U.S. Marine Corps announced Wednesday it is investigating a midair collision last week of two F/A-18 Hornet fighter planes over Southern California.

The planes were conducting close-air support training on Feb. 28 when they collided over Marine Corps Air Ground Center Twentynine Palms, according to the Naval Safety Center.

First Lt. Frederick Walker, spokesman for the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, told Marine Corps Times that no personnel were injured in the "mid-air incident," but did not offer additional information because it is under investigation. The extent of damage to the aircraft is currently unreported.

Both aircraft landed safely, and the incident has been classified as a Class A case for investigation by the Marine Corps. The classification indicates that the planes incurred at least $2 million in damages, according to Military.com.

The incident is the Marine Corps' second major aviation incident this year. An AV-8B Harrier fighter plane aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge was damaged after it ingested a refueling ground strap on Jan. 5. It occurred as the ship traveled in the Mediterranean Sea.

There were no injuries reported in that incident, but it, too, was identified as a Class A case when first reported.

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Boeing temporarily grounds new KC-46 tankers after manufacturing problems
Washington (UPI) Mar 1, 2019
Boeing grounded the Air Force's KC-46 tankers, a version of the 767, for one week after the military branch said it found loose tools and other foreign object debris inside the completed airplanes. Boeing called the problem "a big deal" in a internal memo on Feb. 21 in grounding the planes. The issues come just weeks after the company delivered the first two aircraft to the Air Force. "We have USAF pilots here for flight training and they will not fly due to the FOD [foreign object debri ... read more