BAE gets electronic-warfare contract for Fort Worth-built F-35 program

BAE Systems has received a Lockheed Martin contract for electronic-warfare systems used on the F-35, the fighter assembled in Fort Worth.

The agreement covers production Lots 20 through 22, along with equipment to upgrade older aircraft, BAE said in an Oct. 6 announcement. The company did not announce a contract value.

BAE’s AN/ASQ-239 system helps pilots detect and respond to threats, according to the manufacturer. The company says it has delivered more than 1,500 electronic-warfare systems for the F-35 fleet.

The component work will take place at BAE facilities in Austin and in Manchester, Merrimack and Nashua, New Hampshire. Fort Worth’s connection is Lockheed’s F-35 assembly operation, not a newly announced BAE factory or hiring program.

BAE says it is using automation, design changes and supply-chain improvements to increase production.

Sources:

BAE’s Oct. 6 announcement: https://www.baesystems.com/en-us/article/delivering-electronic-warfare-systems-for-f-35-stealth-fighters

Lockheed’s Fort Worth assembly report: https://lockheedmartin.com/f35/news-and-features/Germanys_First_F35A_Advances_to_Final_Assembly.html