Lockheed Martin has received a contract from the US Navy for the supply of long lead-time parts, material and components for 35 low-rate initial production Lot VII F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft.
Under the $489.5m advance acquisition contract, the company will deliver long lead-time parts, material and components for 19 conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft for the US Air Force (USAF), three CTOLs for the Italian Government and two CTOLs for the Turkish Government.
In addition to providing long lead-time efforts for incorporating a drag chute in CTOL air systems for the Norwegian Government, the contract includes components for six short take-off vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft for the US Marine Corps, one STOVL for the UK and four carrier variant aircraft for the US Navy.
Work will be carried out in the US and the UK and is scheduled to be complete in June 2013, while the Naval Air Systems Command will serve as the contracting activity.
The JSF programme receives funding from the US, UK and seven international partners, being Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Norway and Turkey.
Powered by Pratt and Whitney’s F-135 engine, the multirole F-35 JSF provides long-range detection and precision targeting using its electro-optical targeting system.
F-35 JSF features advanced stealth technology with fighter speed and agility, network-enabled operations, fully fused sensor information, advanced sustainment and lower operational and support costs.
The fifth generation fighter has been designed to perform ground attack, reconnaissance and air defence missions.
Image: A US Air Force F-35 JSF conducting a mission. Photo: courtesy of Joint Strike Fighter.
