{"id":43737,"date":"2020-08-14T16:55:03","date_gmt":"2020-08-14T16:55:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/08\/14\/after-months-of-haggling-lockheed-moves-on-german-air-defense-bid\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:44:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:44:29","slug":"after-months-of-haggling-lockheed-moves-on-german-air-defense-bid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/industry\/2020\/08\/14\/after-months-of-haggling-lockheed-moves-on-german-air-defense-bid\/","title":{"rendered":"After months of haggling, Lockheed moves on German air defense bid"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

COLOGNE, Germany \u2014 Lockheed Martin and MBDA Deutschland have submitted another bid for Germany\u2019s next-generation air defense system, following negotiations throughout the summer that some observers said nearly tanked the project<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cupdated proposal,\u201d as the companies called it in a joint statement Friday, presumably will find smooth sailing in the Defence Ministry\u2019s upcoming analysis. That is because government officials and company executives already went through extensive discussions in the past few months to iron out sticking points left unresolved in previous bids and re-bids<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the last months we made progress in further detailing the Integrated Master Schedule, relevant specifications as well as performance simulations to de-risk the future contract,\u201d Thomas Gottschild, managing director at MBDA Deutschland, said in the statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there are no guarantees, especially when it comes to the famously circuitous Taktisches Luftverteidigungssystem, or TLVS. The program grew out of the now-defunct Medium Extended Air Defense System, which the Pentagon helped fund. Germany wants the weapon to replace its fleet of Patriot batteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The German Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\t