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Lockheed Martin has received an additional $5 billion from the U.S. Air Force for three lots of F-22 Raptor air dominance fighters. This brings the total multiyear contract value to $7.3 billion and extends the production of the aircraft through the year 2011.

The U.S. government previously awarded $2.3 billion of the contract to buy long lead-time parts and maintain continuous manufacturing flow. The aircraft will be built at a rate of 20 per year, with deliveries starting in late 2008.

This contract award is for 60 aircraft and brings the number of Raptors on order to 183. According to the U.S. Air Force, the multiyear contract is estimated to save approximately $400 million over lots 7, 8 and 9 (60 aircraft), compared to a corresponding annual procurement program. This equates to a savings of $6.85 million per aircraft. To date, 105 Raptors have been assembled at the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta, Ga. So far, 99 Raptors have been delivered to the Air Force. Raptors are built at a rate of approximately two per month.

The F-22 is produced in partnership with Boeing and Pratt; Whitney with components and subsystems provided by nearly 1000 suppliers in 44 states.

F-22 production takes place at Lockheed Martin facilities in Marietta, Ga.; Fort Worth, Tex.; Palmdale, Calif.; and Meridian, Miss., as well as at Boeing's plant in Seattle, Wash. Final assembly and initial flight testing of the Raptor are performed in Marietta.