Northrop Grumman beat Boeing and Lockheed Martin for a contract to develop the first USA bomber since the Cold War, a sweepstakes valued at as much as $US80 billion ($110 billion) if all 100 planes sought by the Pentagon are built. Boeing and Lockheed Martin were also competing as a team for the contract. The total backlog sits at $35.89 billion as of September 30 with $21.79 billion funded and the remaining $14.1 billion from unexercised contract options and indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity vehicles.
The Government Accountability Office released a new report this week on defense acquisitions that makes it clear that the process is inefficient at best: "U.S. weapon acquisition programs often take significantly longer, cost more than promised and deliver fewer quantities and capabilities than planned". Boeing was being considered for a multi-billion dollar contract to build the next generation of bombers.
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