C-130J Super Hercules
A U.S. Air Force Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft takes part in a flying display during the 49th Paris Air Show at the Le Bourget airport near Paris June 24, 2011. Reuters/Gonzalo Fuentes

The U.S. Air Force has awarded a contract worth $1 billion to Lockheed Martin Corp. for its Super Hercules military airlift aircraft, the U.S. Department of Defense said Wednesday. The announcement comes amid a legal battle between the defense contractor and the Pentagon over a separate deal.

“Lockheed Martin Corp., Marietta, Georgia, has been awarded a $1,060,940,036… contract for C-130J [Super Hercules aircraft] multi-year production aircraft,” the defense department said, in a statement. Lockheed is expected to build 32 new Super Hercules aircraft and supply it to the army by April 2020, the statement added.

Last Monday, the Pentagon had announced that Lockheed won a contract worth $1.17 billion to buy titanium and other materials to manufacture the eleventh batch of F-35 fighter jets. The defense department also said that the company had met its 2015 goal of delivering 45 F-35 jets to the U.S. government and allies.

Lockheed is currently involved in a legal battle with the Pentagon over its decision to award a$6.75 billion contract to Oshkosh Corp. to produce 17,000 new Humvee trucks to replace an aging fleet of combat vehicles made by Lockheed Martin. Following the lawsuit, Lockheed also filed a temporary injunction against Oshkosh’s manufacturing of the trucks.

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