Today’s top defense contract

We’re approaching the end of another government fiscal quarter, and you can expect big contracts to start coming in by the dozen. Out of several awarded today, one defense contract clearly deserves attention:

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp.
Ticker: NOC
Is awarded a $3,459,276,000 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for engineering and manufacturing development of the E-130J, formerly known as E-XX, Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) Weapon System.

Colloquially known as the Navy’s “Doomsday Plane,” E-130J is a flying command post to be used in the event of nuclear war (or threat of same).

Manufactured based on Lockheed Martin’s C-130 design and equipped with Very Low Frequency communications gear from Collins Aerospace (now RTX Corp), the E-130J is designed to maintain contact among parts of the U.S. nuclear triad, including land, air, and sea nuclear elements, and the President and senior military officers who control them.

The delivery date is set for December 2034.

Full announcement: https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4011154/