Lockheed Martin gets $1.94 billion contract for AEHF 5 & 6 satellites

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $1.94 billion contract to deliver two more Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellites for the US Air Force.  These satellites  AEHF 5 and AEHF 6 are designed to provide protected military satellite communications for the US armed forces.  The contract contains elements of evolution of government contracts from cost-plus to fixed-price contracts.  

To date two AEHF satellites, AEHF 1 and AEHF 2, have been built launched into orbit.  Two more, AEHF 3 and 4,  are due for launch in September 2013 and 2017 respectdively.  The fifth and sixth satellites noted will be assembled at Lockheed Martin's Sunnyvale, California, facility.