Search

House Appropriations Bill Boosts F-35 Buy, Backs New JSTARS

House Appropriations Bill Boosts F-35 Buy, Backs New JSTARS
Two F-35A Lightning IIs from the 388th Fighter Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah, and three F-15C Eagles from the 493rd Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, England, fly in formation during a training sortie over the United Kingdom, April 27, 2017. The F-35As first arrived at RAF Lakenheath on April 15, 2017, which marked it's first flying training deployment to Europe. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Tech. Sgt. Roidan Carlson)

The House Appropriations Committee (HAC) unveiled a $675 billion fiscal year 2019 defense appropriations bill June 6 that would buy 93 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, 16 more than the Trump administration requested.The HAC's proposed purchase of F-35s also represents a significant increase from the House and Senate FY 2019 defense authorization bills, which would fund 77 and 75 jets, respectively. The F-35 enjoys strong support from Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas), who chairs the HAC's defense subcommittee and represents Fort Worth, where…

Subscriber-only content. Please log in below.

Not a subscriber or registered user yet?

Please contact us at clientservices@accessintel.com or call us at 888-707-5814 (Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and Friday 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET.), to start a free trial, get pricing information, order a reprint, or post an article link on your website.



Contract Updates

SNC Manufacturing LLC (Orocovis, Puerto Rico) – $15,857,625

SNC Manufacturing LLC,* Orocovis, Puerto Rico, has been awarded a maximum $15,857,625 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for mechanics cold weather coveralls. This was a competitive acquisition with five responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. The ordering…


Huntington Ingalls Inc. (Newport News, Virginia) – $9,434,758

Huntington Ingalls Inc., Newport News, Virginia, was awarded a $9,434,758 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-22-C-2105) to exercise options for planning and design yard activities for standard navy valves installed in commissioned nuclear-powered submarines, submersibles, and aircraft carriers.…


JRC Integrated Systems LLC (Washington, D.C.) – $10,708,589

JRC Integrated Systems LLC, Washington, D.C., is being awarded a $10,708,589 cost-plus-fixed-fee term contract (including option years) (N0003026C3031) for Trident II D5 Strategic Weapon System programs and Dreadnought programs. Tasks to be performed include operator and operational knowledge and expertise…


Lockheed Martin Corp. Missiles and Fire Control (Archbald, Pennsylvania) – $23,097,963

Lockheed Martin Corp., Missiles and Fire Control, Archbald, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $23,097,963 modification (P00007) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N0001924C0004). This modification adds scope for the production and delivery of 4,002 Laser Guided Training Rounds Bomb Dummy Unit…

House Appropriations Bill Boosts F-35 Buy, Backs New JSTARS

The House Appropriations Committee (HAC) unveiled a $675 billion fiscal year 2019 defense appropriations bill June 6 that would buy 93 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, 16 more than the Trump administration requested.

The HAC’s proposed purchase of F-35s also represents a significant increase from the House and Senate FY 2019 defense authorization bills, which would fund 77 and 75 jets, respectively. The F-35 enjoys strong support from Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas), who chairs the HAC’s defense subcommittee and represents Fort Worth, where Lockheed Martin [LMT] builds the stealth fighter.

Two F-35A Lightning IIs from the 388th Fighter Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah, and three F-15C Eagles from the 493rd Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, England, fly in formation during a training sortie over the United Kingdom, April 27, 2017. The F-35As first arrived at RAF Lakenheath on April 15, 2017, which marked it's first flying training deployment to Europe. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Tech. Sgt. Roidan Carlson)
Two F-35A Lightning IIs from the 388th Fighter Squadron, Hill AFB, Utah, and three F-15C Eagles from the 493rd Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, England, fly in formation during a training sortie over the United Kingdom, April 27, 2017. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Like the House authorization bill, the HAC bill would continue an Air Force program to replace the aging E-8C JSTARS ground-surveillance plane.

The Air Force has proposed canceling the JSTARS replacement, or recapitalization, program, saying the new aircraft would be shot down in a war with China or Russia. But program supporters insist a new JSTARS could still play an important role in future conflicts.

The bill would also buy a total of 12 Navy ships, including three Littoral Combat Ships, two more than requested. It supports the request for three DDG-51 guided-missile destroyers, two Virginia-class submarines, one Expeditionary Sea Base, two TAO fleet oilers and one Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship.

The bill endorses the request for 15 Air Force KC-46A tankers, 24 Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, 10 Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and 10 Air Force Combat Rescue Helicopters.

It would also procure 18 C-130J planes, 58 UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters, 66 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, 13 V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft, 10 MQ-1 Gray Eagle unmanned aerial vehicles, 24 MQ-9 UAVS, five space launches and upgrades to 85 Abrams tanks.

The HAC’s defense subcommittee is scheduled to formally consider the bill in closed-door session June 7. A report explaining the bill will be released when the full committee holds its markup, which has not yet been scheduled.

The Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to take up its version of the bill later this month.



Contract Updates

SNC Manufacturing LLC (Orocovis, Puerto Rico) – $15,857,625

SNC Manufacturing LLC,* Orocovis, Puerto Rico, has been awarded a maximum $15,857,625 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for mechanics cold weather coveralls. This was a competitive acquisition with five responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. The ordering…


Huntington Ingalls Inc. (Newport News, Virginia) – $9,434,758

Huntington Ingalls Inc., Newport News, Virginia, was awarded a $9,434,758 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-22-C-2105) to exercise options for planning and design yard activities for standard navy valves installed in commissioned nuclear-powered submarines, submersibles, and aircraft carriers.…


JRC Integrated Systems LLC (Washington, D.C.) – $10,708,589

JRC Integrated Systems LLC, Washington, D.C., is being awarded a $10,708,589 cost-plus-fixed-fee term contract (including option years) (N0003026C3031) for Trident II D5 Strategic Weapon System programs and Dreadnought programs. Tasks to be performed include operator and operational knowledge and expertise…


Lockheed Martin Corp. Missiles and Fire Control (Archbald, Pennsylvania) – $23,097,963

Lockheed Martin Corp., Missiles and Fire Control, Archbald, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $23,097,963 modification (P00007) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N0001924C0004). This modification adds scope for the production and delivery of 4,002 Laser Guided Training Rounds Bomb Dummy Unit…