Lockheed Martin Aeronautics has been awarded a contract for sustainment engineering services for the U.S. Air Force’s largest plane, the Pentagon said in a statement on Friday.
to a statement, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics has been awarded a $131,6 million contract for C‐5 military transport aircraft sustainment.
Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas; Marietta, Georgia; and Palmdale, California, and is expected to be completed Jan. 25, 2019.
The U.S. Air Force’s largest plane, the C-5, features several unique characteristics, including a nose cargo door and a kneeling nose gear, which allow for drive-on capability. While the Air Force began modernizing the aircraft in 1998, the fleet is rapidly approaching 50 years of service.
As the Air Force’s largest and only strategic , the C-5 Galaxy can carry more cargo farther distances than any other aircraft. With a payload of six Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles (MRAPs) or up to five helicopters, the C-5 can haul twice as much cargo as any other .
The age and unique characteristics of the airframe require routine, specialized maintenance.
The Air Force currently owns 52 Super Galaxy aircraft, which are only assigned to four units worldwide.