Less than two months after declaring that Dan Crowley wouldn’t be budged from his job as head of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 program despite the turbulence that it has experienced of late, company leaders Monday announced that Crowley will be promoted to chief operating officer of Lockheed’s aeronautics sector. There, he’ll oversee not only the F-35, but the F-22, F-16, C-130, and C-5M programs. Ralph Heath, Lockheed’s aeronautics czar, explained the change, saying the company is at “an inflection point” on the F-35 as it transitions to production, and it’s necessary to ensure that the aeronautics business unit “is organized and aligned to successfully meet all” of its commitments. Defense Secretary Robert Gates sacked the Pentagon’s F-35 program manager in February, but Lockheed CEO Bob Stevens stuck with Crowley despite frustration voiced over his performance. Larry Lawson, who’s been F-22 program head, will now lead the F-35.
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.