Lockheed Martin, InDyne, and URS Corporation, submitted a joint proposal for Air Force Space Command’s launch and test range system integrated support contract (LISC), announced Lockheed Martin. “The LISC contract will achieve a decades-long dream of standardizing Air Force launch operations on the two coasts to achieve significant cost savings through consolidation and efficiencies,” said retired Gen. Lance Lord, president of the Consolidated Range Enterprise, or CoRE—an alliance between the three companies formed to meet the needs of launch ranges. The multi-billion dollar LISC program combines three separate contracts for the Air Forces two launch ranges—Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., and Vandenberg AFB, Calif.—under a single range support contract, states the release. LISC is intended to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of USAF ranges, states the release. “Collectively, the combined strengths of CoRe Services offer the depth of experience to provide the Air Force Space Command with a highly reliable solution that increases range availability, reduces sustainment costs and keeps the ranges operational today and in the future,” said Robert Smith, vice president of Space and Cyber for Lockheed Martin Information Systems and Global Solutions.
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.