United Launch Alliance (ULA) and the U.S. Air Force have come to contractual terms for the first batch of rockets in a long-awaited bulk purchase that the service said forms the core of its strategy for saving money on a program whose soaring costs once made it a lightning rod for criticism. Setting the stage for the upcoming competitive phase of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, Denver-based ULA and the Air Force claim the new contracting structure has already saved taxpayers billions of dollars. The Air Force in 2013 announced three contracts with ULA whose total combined value is just under $2.6 billion, including an initial $1 billion order in June to support seven EELV missions. In December, the Air Force announced a $530 million contract modification "for fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2017 launch vehicle production services and options for that associated launch capability for fiscal 2015 through fiscal 2019."
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