Lockheed Fixes Safety-Switch Flaw That Delayed Missile Contract
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Lockheed Martin Corp. has fixed a flawed safety switch that delayed delivery of the first 24 of the Pentagon’s newest interceptor missiles and hindered a contract for the company to build more, the company’s chief financial officer said today.
Repair of the switch, completed between late September and early October, was a prerequisite for Lockheed to win a contract for about two dozen more of the weapons, Bruce Tanner said in a New York presentation. The U.S. Missile Defense Agency said in July that the missiles couldn’t be assembled until repairs were made to the mechanism, intended to prevent accidental launches.