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F35 Lightning II CTOL AA1
F-35 Lightning II will be the world’s first and only operational stealthy supersonic, multi-role fighter.
The F-35 Lightning II programme is the world’s largest defence programme, with current stated requirements from initial customers for approximately 3,000 aircraft. BAE Systems is teamed with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to deliver the F-35 Lightning II.
The F-35 programme is currently in the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase, which will see the production of 21 test aircraft. Fifteen F-35s will undergo flight test, and six will be used for static testing. Another high-fidelity full-scale model F-35 will validate the aircraft’s radar signature. The first flight of the first F-35 aircraft, a preproduction conventional takeoff and landing variant, took place on 15 December 2006.
The Aircraft
F-35 Lightning II will be the world’s most advanced combat aircraft and the first and only stealthy, supersonic, multi-role fighter. The F-35 is being developed for the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps to replace the A-10, the AV-8B Harrier, F-26 and the F/A-18 Hornet, and for the UK’s Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, to replace the Harrier and Sea Harrier.
Three variants of the aircraft are in development and feature a high degree of commonality. Each variant is being tailored to meet the unique requirements of US and UK services. The variants are: a conventional takeoff and landing aircraft (CTOL) for the U.S. Air Force; a short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant for the U.S. Marine Corps and the UK; and a carrier takeoff and landing (CV) aircraft for the U.S. Navy.
Capabilities
BAE Systems is a key partner on the F-35 programme and brings military aircraft expertise that is critical to the F-35 Lightning II airframe and systems.
Key Expertise:
- Digital design and precision manufacturing techniques
- Systems modelling and simulation
- STOVL heritage from Harrier programme
- Lean manufacturing
- Through-life support
Lead work share areas:
- Aft fuselage
- Vertical & horizontal tails
- CV wing tips
- Fuel system
- Crew escape
- Life support
- Prognostics Health Management integration
- UK aircraft carrier integration support
Support work share areas:
- UK weapons integration
- Vehicle management systems
- Mission systems
- Structural testing
- Autonomic Logistics and Global Sustainment (Support)
- Flight sciences including:
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Hot Gas Ingestion
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Thermo Acoustic
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Wind Tunnel
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Employee numbers:
- Military Air Solutions has c1200 F-35 Lightning II employees at its Brough, Samlesbury, Warton and Woodford sites. MAS also has a team of employees based at Lockheed Martin’s site in Ft Worth, Texas working in specialist roles on the programme.
Brough
- Design/engineering of horizontal tails
Samlesbury
- Design, manufacture and assembly of aft fuselage
- Manufacture and assembly of horizontal and vertical tails
Warton
- Systems – fuel, crew escape and life support, prognostics health management integration, mission systems
- Functional support
Woodford
- Design/engineering of vertical tails
