Moving to 20 Shipsets/Month from 2022
BAE Systems is providing additional EW systems, retrofit kits, and spares for the F-35 LIGHTNING II – providing critical situational awareness and survivability capabilities, the company announced on 28 June. A fresh contract builds on the on-time delivery of over 800 AN/ASQ-239 EW systems to date.
“We’ve delivered cutting-edge electronic warfare systems for every F-35 fighter,” stated Deb Norton, VP of F-35 Solutions. “Our team is focused on manufacturing excellence and execution, providing agile, adaptable systems to outpace the current and future threat.”
This Lot 16 award comes as BAE Systems delivers Lot 14 systems, and executes material orders for Lot 15. The company is currently producing 18 shipsets a month and is increasing production to over 20/month by 2022, to match the aircraft’s Low Rate Initial Production.
The AN/ASQ-239 EW system provides advanced offensive and defensive capabilities enabling the F-35 to engage complex, highly capable threats. The innovative system is designed for performance, and to be efficiently manufactured, sustained and upgraded. The company is a leader in system affordability, having reduced the cost of the F-35 EW system by 77% since it was first produced, and achieving all affordability targets since the inception of the programme. BAE Systems is also among Lockheed Martin’s highest-rated suppliers for both quality and on-time delivery. Focused on agile engineering, manufacturing, and sustainment solutions to accelerate the transition of laboratory innovations to the field. The company’s expertise in performance-based logistics has yielded a 60% improvement in F-35 EW system availability.