USA buys 18 Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules transport plane.

The largest award won by any defense contractor Friday -- went to Lockheed Martin in the form of a not-to-exceed firm-fixed-price contract funding "long lead efforts" required to prepare for the building of 18 C-130J Hercules transport aircraft.

The Pentagon did not indicate whether these 18 aircraft include the eight C-130Js for which Lockheed received funding earlier in the week. Work on this new award should be complete by Oct. 31, 2016.