Chapter 765

If Motorola really gives Hughes space more than half of the satellite manufacturing orders of the iridium project, it will be a great blow to Lockheed. You know, the iridium project developed by Motorola is the largest near earth space communication satellite project in the 1990s.

For this reason, Motorola plans to launch 66 communication satellites and 6 standby satellites to Leo in the next few years, with a total investment of US $6.6 billion, of which 3.4 billion will be used for satellite R & D and manufacturing.

Although more than 3 billion US dollars is just a small cake compared with the US military satellite program which is often tens of billions or even tens of billions, the problem is that the US military is not only a local tycoon, but also a master of balance. The 10 billion level investment should be allocated to several domestic space companies with satellite manufacturing capabilities. Not to mention, sometimes, in order to show the generosity of the United States And part of it will be shared with companies in the UK or Europe.

The big cake is divided into innumerable small cakes, and Lockheed has worked hard to get a few. Thank God that he can get a list of more than two billion dollars at most.

Taking into account some public relations expenses, the high cost of the US Army's neurotic assigned suppliers and the daily labor expenses, the profit margin is less than 40%. Just last year, Lockheed space equipment manufacturing Co. undertook the production of the US Army's global mobile communication satellite system similar to the iridium project.

The total investment of the project is 16 billion US dollars, and the satellite production and development is about 8.9 billion US dollars. Locke system takes 20% of the total investment, which is about 1.8 billion US dollars. It will provide four geostationary orbit communication satellites with a mass of 1.25 tons for the US military.

After all the research and production tasks are completed, the satellite is launched by the US Air Force and delivered into orbit. Lockheed's audit department comes to calculate the cost and expense one by one, and the profit margin of the whole project is only 32.6%.

That is to say, Lockheed only made 586 million dollars in the end when 1.8 billion dollars of US military investment fell.

In other industries, the profit margin and sum of money may be doubled. But in aerospace, especially in low earth orbit space equipment, the profit margin should be at least 50%. Otherwise, how can it reflect the height of outer space? Therefore, under normal circumstances, satellites can only be described as priceless, not a powerful country that can't afford to play at all.

As a result, in such an industry with a profit margin of 50% and a barely foothold of 60%, Lockheed actually only made a 32.6% success, which is embarrassing to say.

But there is no way, who let the customer is the arrogant U.S. Army, dare to blow up hair, believe it or not to give you 20% profit next time!

What if I dare not blow my hair? It's easy to do. It's not enough to turn the buyer's market into the seller's market. Through acquisition, merger and integration, a highly unified monopoly market will be formed. How dare you call it.

As a result, a wave of merger and reorganization is gradually rising in the United States. Lockheed and Boeing are the two giants who are responsible for this wave. However, if you want to be a trendsetter, you must have the ability to make waves. In other words, you must have sufficient funds. As the saying goes, money can push the devil, and the United States is no exception.

But how to make money?

Of course, it's to maximize the profit of each order. At this time, Motorola Company comes to the door with iridium plan. Lockheed naturally can't let go of this opportunity. You know, Motorola is not the U.S. military. It doesn't have so many tricks and tricks. Lockheed can get at least 60% of the profit from the $3.4 billion satellite R & D and manufacturing costs.

It is reasonable to say that such a huge profit margin is enough, but Lockheed, who wants to become the largest military giant in the United States and even in the world, is still not satisfied. After all, large mergers and acquisitions need the consent of Congress, and the appetite of those Congress elders who are full of brains and often puff their brains is bigger than one.

If you want to feed them, you have to increase the profit margin. You can't think about the list of the U.S. military. Whether it's the main contractor or the sub contractor, they are all related customers of the U.S. military. The prices of spare parts are higher and higher. You can't bargain, because if you can't talk about it, you'll get a former U.S. Navy Admiral or someone who works in a key department of the Ministry of defense Senior consultant.

These people are also senior advisors or nominal directors of Lockheed.

So the flood rushed to the Dragon King Temple, and the two families became a family. It can be said that they all changed their ways to earn money from the U.S. Army. What do you mean by killing their own people?

Therefore, every time Lockheed's so-called slogan of cost control is loud, but every time the thunder and rain are a little bit small, the tiger head and snake tail don't want it.

Autonomy is greatly limited.

Iridium's 72 satellites are different. No matter how powerful Motorola is, it's no bigger than the U.S. military. Naturally, there are no so-called designated suppliers. All of them need Lockheed to integrate the industrial chain of satellite R & D and manufacturing, and the autonomy is infinitely enlarged.

When Lockheed saw it, if he didn't make a lot of money, he would make five thunders. He raised the profit margin to 70%. At the same time, he beat Hughes space's reserve price of $4.2 billion with an overall price of $3.4 billion, and successfully won all the communication satellite manufacturing contracts of Motorola's iridium program.At the same time, the performance of the satellite has to meet the requirements of Motorola, and Lockheed is struggling to make money.

Conventional U.S. suppliers naturally can't meet Lockheed's requirements, because their products are too expensive to use. Lockheed will make a satellite 100% to compensate one satellite. Therefore, we must find another way to get products with low price, good quality and acceptable performance from other channels, so as to ensure Lockheed's expected profit target in the iridium program.

It is for these reasons that Abraham Weber, vice president of Lockheed space equipment company, made a phone call to merlinz.

After listening to the details, although there is no obvious change in merlinz's face, in his heart, 10000 alpacas are frantically running back and forth, which is 25% to 45% lower than the satellite parts suppliers in Europe and the United States, which is even more difficult than being difficult.

Not to mention Europe and the United States, even Russia, which was tormented by the collapse of the Soviet Union, can't be as low as this. After all, the things that can be installed with satellites are not sophisticated. Whether it's materials, processing or technology, they are all the latest sophisticated technology integration of human beings. The cost of such things is there, and they can't be reduced.

What's more, even if it comes down, doesn't he earn money himself?

At least 5 to 10 points should be paid for. In this way, Lockheed needs 30% to 55% more satellite accessories than mainstream manufacturers in Europe and the United States.

Merlinz has cooperated with many manufacturers over the years, but none of them can meet this requirement. When merlinz was at a loss, he was ready to refuse Weber's "good intentions" if he could not. At this time, he remembered the launch of the new aircraft of Tengfei group some time ago. In addition to two trainer aircraft, Zhuang Jianye also introduced the grand plan of Tengfei group's aerospace at that time.

Now that Tengfei group has started to build rockets, can they produce satellite parts?

A seemingly absurd idea came out of merlinz's head, and he immediately called the agency of Tengfei group in Thailand with the attitude of being a living horse doctor. Unexpectedly, he asked the right person!