F-35A Lightning II (CTOL)
Program Overview:
The F-35 Lightning II is a stealthy (radar-evading), supersonic, multi-role fighter designed to meet United States' and the United Kingdom's requirement for an affordable next generation fighter. It will replace a wide range of aging fighter and strike aircraft currently in the inventories of the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps and allied defense forces worldwide.
Northrop Grumman is a principal subcontractor on an F-35 industry team led by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Fort Worth, Texas, that is developing, demonstrating and producing three variants of this single-engine, 5th generation fighter: a conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) variant; a short-take off, vertical landing (STOVL) variant and a carrier variant (CV). The F-35 team also includes BAE Systems as a principal subcontractor.
The program's hallmarks - affordability, survivability, sustainability and lethality - are achieved through the use of the most modern military aircraft technologies, state-of-the-art production facilities, and a high degree of commonality of airframe design, parts and systems among the three variants. The team is using advanced manufacturing techniques to enable a unique, high-rate production program. Support costs are projected to be about half that of present-day fighters.
Northrop Grumman plays a critical role in the development and production of the F-35 weapon system. The company's contributions span six of its eight sectors and include: design, production and integration of the center fuselage of the aircraft; providing the fire control radar and electro-optical distributed aperture system, producing key avionics and communications subsystems; developing mission systems and mission-planning software; providing modeling and simulation support; developing pilot and maintenance personnel training courseware; and developing logistical support hardware and software.
The U.S., the UK and seven international partners - Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Turkey - are contributing to the development costs of the aircraft. Purchases by the U.S. armed forces and these partner countries combined with foreign military sales are expected to exceed 4,000 total aircraft.
Northrop Grumman is building an international F-35 supplier team focused on providing 'best value' to its customers. To date, the company has awarded some of its most significant subcontracts to firms based in partner countries, including an agreement to produce at least 400 center fuselages in Turkey starting in the low rate initial production phase of the program.
