MARIETTA - The U.S. Air Force seeks approval to order 40 C-130J-30 aircraft from Lockheed Martin over the next five years.
Congress must approve the proposal next month for the 2003 budget before representatives from Lockheed and the Air Force can begin negotiations on a final contract for cost of the planes.
If passed, the final contract could mean as much as $2.8 billion for Lockheed, which supplies all C-130J-30 aircraft to the Air Force.
The Air Force now has 25 C-130J-30s and has 32 on contract or in the process of being delivered to Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard bases in Mississippi, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Maryland, according to U.S. Air Force spokeswoman Gloria Cales.
Lockheed Martin spokesman Peter Simmons said the Air Force would purchase four of the aircraft in 2004 if the contract is approved, followed by nine each in the remaining four years of the contract.
``What this means is a great cost savings to the Air Force,'' Simmons said. ``We believe it is a win-win situation for both sides.''
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July 4th, 2025
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