Lockheed Martin Corp., the world’s largest defense contractor, must replace the airframe of its proposed successor to a U.S. Army reconnaissance aircraft because the plane is projected to weigh too much.
Lockheed led a group last year that beat Northrop Grumman Corp. and General Dynamics for the Aerial Common Sensor program valued at as much as $4.6 billion. Bethesda, Md.-based Lockheed is responsible for the development and procurement of as many as 57 of the aircraft for the Army and Navy.
Lockheed is operating under an $879 million development contract. Lockheed’s team includes Brazil’s Embraer, Argon Engineering Associates Inc., BAE Systems Plc, Harris Corp., L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. and Raytheon Co.
More than 40 percent of the work is performed at Lockheed’s facility in Jefferson County, and as much as 17 percent is performed outside the U.S.
About 300 people work on the Aerial Common Sensor program in Colorado, and Lockheed does not expect a reduction in that number, said spokeswoman Suzanne Smith.
Boeing Co., General Dynamics Corp.’s Gulfstream Aerospace unit, Bombardier Inc. and Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica SA, Lockheed’s original aircraft maker, will compete to provide the new structure. Lockheed Martin spokesman Tom Greer said the company was still evaluating proposals with the Army and “we plan to make an award of the preferred platform soon.”
Army program manager Lt. Col. Steven Drake told Pentagon officials in an April 25 report that “weight issues are severe enough that it has been recognized that a reliable solution which meets all performance requirements within cost and schedule constraints will be a significant challenge.”
The model will perform battlefield intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
“The team concluded that an alternate airframe was necessary to provide the best solution,” Drake told Bloomberg News on Monday.
Staff writer Kelly Yamanouchi contributed to this report.
