Boeing loses out on multi-billion dollar deal with Air Force

 had teamed with Lockheed Martin Corp to bid for the work.

245-w-36-(Sagar Meghani (SAH'-gur meh-GAH'-nee), AP national security correspondent, with Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James)-The Air Force has picked the victor of a massive contract to build its next-generation bomber.

"We will have further discussions with our customer before determining our next steps", was said in the press release from Boeing and Lockheed.

The contract has been closely watched for years for clues on what future capabilities the next stealth bomber might have.

The final price-tag on the program will be dependent on the number of aircrafts being built, along with scheduling and other factors, but the Pentagon said independent estimates suggest the engineering and manufacturing development phase of the project could cost $21.4 billion. But the award, because of its magnitude, will likely face a flurry of protests from Boeing and Lockheed, as well as heavy political opposition in Congress. The Air Force's previous math error on the LRSB program, which misstated the 10-year cost estimate as nearly half of what it actually was projected to be, has already set Sen.

B-2 Stealth Bomber performs a flyover at the 126th Rose Parade in Pasadena California

The new Long-Range Strike Bomber will be one of the Pentagon's biggest weapons systems of the next decade, and is slated to enter service in the mid 2020s. Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, chief of staff of the Air Force, said, "This open architecture will help ensure competition throughout the life cycle of the program, and make it easier to modify the platform as technology advances and the threats evolve".

James said the bombers would allow the Air Force to launch an airstrike to anywhere in the world. That mean each jet would cost $564 million in 2016 dollars, LaPlante said.

The long drawn contract to build the next-generation of stealth bomber, referred to as the Long Range Strike Bomber, has been awarded to Northrop Grumman.

"The Air Force has made the right decision for our nation's security", said Wes Bush, CEO of Northrop Grumman.

"I said ... you've got to design it so you buy at least 100", the former defense secretary told senators.

The service requested that two independent government cost estimators look at the program.

The Air Force plans to announce a smaller initial contract for development of the new stealth bomber, and production of the first five batches of aircraft - for a total of 21 planes.

Following their brief presentation at the Pentagon, Air Force officials provided little more information, giving clipped answers to reporters' questions.