Lockheed Martin (LMT) Wins $1B Deal for Super Hercules Fleet
Per major media sources, Lockheed Martin Corp. LMT recently secured a $1-billion deal for delivering five C-130J-30 Super Hercules transport aircraft to the military of New Zealand. Further, Lockheed Martin’s Aeronautics division will deliver a full mission flight simulator and other supporting infrastructure as New Zealand’s military seeks to replace its existing aircraft fleet.
The company will deliver the first of the new Super Hercules aircraft in 2024, with the full fleet operating from 2025.
The New C-130J Specifics
As the world’s premier tactical airlifter, the Super Hercules features tremendous lift capacity, long-range and austere landing field capabilities. Rolls-Royce’s RYCEY AE 2100D3 engines and six-bladed Dowty Aerospace R391 composite propellers from General Electric GE improve the aircraft’s performance over legacy C-130 jet. The Super Hercules worldwide fleet has more than 2 million flight hours and is the airlifter of choice for 20 nations.
The new Super Hercules aircraft will be able to carry heavier payloads and will possess advanced capabilities, including wide bandwidth, to enable real-time data streaming. These new aircraft will also be featuring infrared cameras and high-speed satellite communications.
Our View
In recent times, military helicopters in the U.S. aerospace-defense market have gained prominence and significant traction due to advancements and integration of new tactical, logistical and other important features. Some of these developments are attributable to defense players like Lockheed Martin and Textron TXT, as both are pioneers in manufacturing tactical military rotorcraft.
Notably, the aforementioned contract secured by Lockheed Martin is indicative of solid revenue growth prospects for its Aeronautics business segment, which comprises the C-130 Hercules program. Notably, during first-quarter 2020, revenues in this unit increased 14.1% year over year. We may expect this unit to generate similar solid performance in the coming days, backed by contract wins like the latest one.
Per Research and Markets firm, the global military rotorcraft market is expected to see a CAGR of 4.28%, to $30.7 billion by 2028, from 2018. Such growth can be attributed to the need for replacing aging fleets and enhancing capabilities in the longer run. This, in turn, should boost further demand for Lockheed Martin’s Super Hercules aircraft and enable it to benefit from the expanding global rotorcraft market.
Price Movement and Zacks Rank
In a year’s time, shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company gained 14.5% against the industry’s 20.8% decline. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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