News archive: Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II | Airframer

15 July

ReleaseRTX's Pratt & Whitney completes F135 Engine Core Upgrade preliminary design review

20 June

ReleaseHoneywell to acquire CAES to enhance defense technologies across land, sea, air and space

9 April

Releasee-VAC Magnetics receives historic $111.9 million Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Tax Credit for construction of first U.S. manufacturing facility in South Carolina

2 April

ReleaseKratos demonstrates XQ-58A electronic warfare capabilities for United States Marine Corps

28 March

The landing gear doors project is a key element of the F-35's industrial participation solution in Finland to transfer technical and manufacturing experience in 5th Generation aircraft production.

Patria lands contract for F-35 landing gear doors

A new production line at Patria's Halli facility in Jämsä, Finland, will manufacture 400 sets of landing gear doors for the F-35 global fleet.

21 February

ReleaseSkyryse One begins new era of simpler, safer aviation

30 January

ReleaseRTX EPACS F-35 power and thermal management system demonstrates 80 kW cooling capacity

9 January

ReleaseLockheed Martin awards contract to Aechelon Technology for thirty-two (32) F-35 Full Mission Simulator Training Systems

3 January

ReleaseAir Industries Group subsidiary Sterling Engineering Corporation receives $3.2M in new contracts

10 December

ReleaseSafran Aero Boosters and BMT Aerospace work together on the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine for the F35 military aircraft

5 December

ReleaseHENSOLDT acquires ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH

13 September

BAE Systems’ next-generation vehicle management computer was successfully flight tested on the F-35 Lighting II aircraft. (Photo: BAE Systems).

Latest F-35 vehicle management computer takes flight

The new level of computing power allows for additional aircraft capabilities while reducing pilot workload. It also adds advanced mission capabilities to the VMC such as JPALS and Auto Ground Collision Avoidance System.

11 September

ReleaseRTX begins fabrication of 1MW generator for Air Force Research Laboratory

13 July

AIG provides arresting gear components for E-2D and F-35

Orders come from a long-time US customer of Air Industries Group, which manufactures these flight safety components, and from a new European customer working on the CV and CTOL versions of the F-35.

29 June

ReleaseF-35 investment keeps manufacturing flying high

19 June

ReleasePatria and Lockheed Martin have signed the first agreement within Finland´s F-35 direct industrial participation programme

8 June

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was agreed at the recently concluded International Defense and Security Technologies Fair (IDET) in Brno, Czech Republic.

Honeywell's Czech business seeks greater role in F-35

The intention is to provide localisation of support which reduces turnaround time, lowers the spares pool, provides operational flexibility and increased aircraft availability.

6 April

BAE Systems has received $491 million to produce state-of-the-art Block 4 electronic warfare (EW) systems for future F-35 Lightning II fighter jets.

Latest Lightning EW system extends situational awareness

The AN/ASQ-239 system for Block 4 Lightnings is designed and manufactured at BAE Systems' facilities in Manchester, New Hampshire and Nashua, New Hampshire.

9 March

Magellan was the first in the industry to optimize 3D sand printing technology for production.

Collins keeps faith with Magellan's complex castings

In addition to F-15, F-16, and F-18 castings for Collins legacy programs, the extended LTA also encompasses the supply of castings to support F-35 Lightning II, KC-46, Airbus A320neo, Boeing 787 and 777X programs.

6 March

ReleasePratt & Whitney awarded F135 production contract for lots 15-17

7 February

ReleaseBAE Systems delivers 1,000th F-35 Lightning II fuselage to Lockheed Martin in major milestone for the world's largest defence programme

19 January

ReleaseQuickstep announces $11.3M purchase order for F-35 vertical tail components

19 January

Northrop Grumman is developing the next generation radar for the F-35 Lightning II.

Northrop Grumman sets to work on future F-35 radar

The AN/APG-85 is an advanced multifunction sensor that will be compatible with all variants of the F-35 aircraft and will be capable of defeating current and projected adversarial air and surface threats.

14 December

The horizontal tail assemblies produced by Magellan are used on the Conventional Takeoff and Landing variant of the F-35.

BAE continues Magellan contract for F-35 tail assemblies

The horizontal tail assemblies produced at Magellan's facility in Winnipeg, MB, will be used on the Conventional Takeoff and Landing variant of the F-35. The company hopes eventually to produce more than 1,000 ship sets.

22 November

ReleaseMagellan Aerospace signs multi-year F-35 Lightning II contract

16 November

ReleasePratt & Whitney's world-class North Carolina turbine airfoil production facility nears operational capability

16 November

ReleaseValence Everett receives F-16 approvals from Lockheed Martin

15 September

GE stands ready to produce adaptive engine for F35

The XA100 is a flight-weight engine that would provide the F-35 with 30% more range, greater than 20% faster acceleration, and significant mission systems growth for Block 4 upgrades, and beyond.

7 September

ReleasePratt & Whitney celebrates 1,000th F135 delivery with Reps. Larson & Courtney

31 August

ReleasePratt & Whitney delivers 1,000th F135 production engine

15 June

IAI recently reopened the assembly lines for the F-16 wings, vertical fins and conformal fuel tanks. Photo: Lockheed Martin.

IAI marks aerostructure delivery milestones

IAI is scheduled to produce 811 pairs of F-35A wings, with a potential value of over $2 billion by 2034, and recently reopened the assembly lines for the F-16 wings, vertical fins and conformal fuel tanks.

16 May

ReleaseKopin receives additional $4.8 million order for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program

30 March

ReleaseGE begins industry's first adaptive cycle engine tests at Arnold Engineering Development Complex

18 March

ReleaseKongsberg signs agreement to supply air-to-air pylons for the F-35 program

16 February

ReleaseNorthrop Grumman delivers 900th F-35 centre fuselage

3 February

ReleaseBAE Systems achieves key production milestones for the F-35 Fighter

15 December

ReleaseGE successfully concludes phase 1 testing on second XA100 adaptive cycle engine

27 September

ReleasePentagon and Lockheed Martin agree to F-35 production rebaseline

14 September

ReleaseU.S. Navy, Boeing conduct first MQ-25 refueling mission with F-35C

2 August

ReleasePPG completes $15 million expansion at Sylmar manufacturing facility

6 July

ReleaseAir Industries Group announces Long-Term Agreement for F-35 landing gear components

1 July

BAE Systems is providing additional EW systems, retrofit kits, and spares for the F-35 – delivering critical situational awareness and survivability capabilities.

BAE Systems boosts EW production for Lightning II

BAE Systems has so far delivered 800 state-of-the-art AN/ASQ-239 electronic warfare/countermeasure systems for the F-35 jet, providing it with critical situational awareness and survivability capabilities.

8 June

ReleaseKopin receives additional $1.6 million order for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program

4 June

ReleaseSONACA will assemble the horizontal tail of the F-35

3 May

ReleaseLockheed Martin Skunk Works' Project Hydra demonstrates 5th gen to 5th gen communications across domains

26 March

ReleaseKongsberg signs agreement worth 1.7 billion NOK for deliveries to F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

23 March

ReleaseGastops celebrates 3,500th engine sensor delivery for F-35 Lightning II

24 February

Cubic wins contract for more F-35 Combat Training Systems

Cubic and its principal subcontractor, Leonardo DRS, will continue to produce and maintain the F-35 P5 internal subsystem. It relays data between participating aircraft and range ground stations during training sorties.

17 December

Magellan and BAE Systems have been working together to produce horizontal stabilizers for the global F-35 program since 2009.

Magellan delivers 200th horizontal stabiliser set for F-35

The milestone has been reached eight years after the first delivery, but production is now at full rate and Magellan hopes these are just the first of up to 1,000 ship-sets over the program lifetime.