BAE Systems has delivered the 1000th rear fuselage to Lockheed Martin for the F-35, the world’s most advanced and capable fifth generation fighter.
More than 1,500 employees produce the rear fuselage, as well as other key components, for every F-35 in the global fleet. The first fuselage was delivered to Lockheed Martin in 2005.
At an event today celebrating the 1000th delivery, Susan Addison, Senior Vice President for US Programmes at BAE Systems’ Air sector, said: “This is a significant moment for everyone involved in the program and testament to our highly skilled workforce. Our role on the F-35 program is another example of how we help to deliver capability that is critical for national security.”
Bridget Lauderdale, Lockheed Martin Vice President and General Manager of the F-35 programme, said: “The F-35 programme powers economic growth and prosperity for the UK injecting £41billion into the UK economy and supporting more than 20,000 jobs in the UK supply chain, many of those based in the North West.
“With more than 500 companies in our UK supply chain, we’re proud of the role that our partnership with BAE Systems has in delivering the world’s most advanced aircraft for the UK and 17 other allied nations.”
BAE Systems has been involved in the Lockheed Martin-led F-35 program since its inception and plays a key role in the manufacture and sustainment of the aircraft, which is operated by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and air forces across the world.
BAE Systems’ Air sector employs more than 2,300 people in the U.S. and U.K. who bring military aircraft expertise to the development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of the F-35, helping ensure mission readiness for warfighters globally.
In addition to manufacturing aircraft components in the U.K., BAE Systems also delivers key systems and electronics on-board the jets. The company is a world leader in electronic warfare (EW), and engineers in the U.S. design and produce the EW suite for the F-35, providing fully integrated radar warning, targeting support, and self-protection, to detect and defeat surface and airborne threats.
Components produced by BAE Systems are delivered to Lockheed Martin’s final assembly facility in Fort Worth, Texas, where the aircraft is flight tested ahead of delivery.
BAE Systems also plays a leading role in the delivery of global sustainment services for the F-35, including at RAF Marham, Norfolk, U.K., home of the U.K.’s F-35 fleet, where the company works alongside Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls-Royce.
The company’s site in Warton, U.K., is home to an immersive simulation facility that enables U.S. Marine Corps and U.K. F-35 pilots to complete dedicated training exercises ahead of deployment on the Queen Elizabeth Class carriers.
Beyond electronic warfare, BAE Systems also designs and manufactures the F-35’s active inceptor control stick, vehicle management computer, and other electronics. The company also designs and builds the aft fuselage and horizontal and vertical tails, as well as the wingfold for F-35Cs and the nozzle bay doors for F-35Bs. For additional information, visit: https://www.baesystems.com/en-us/product/f-35.
