BAE Systems

122 The Aircraft of British Aerospace and BAE SYSTEMS 1977 - 2017

T

he Lockheed Martin F-35

Lightning 2 is stealthy, multi-role

strike, reconnaissance and air

defence aircraft available in three

distinct versions. These are the F-35A

Conventional Take Off and Landing

(CTOL), the F-35B Short Take Off and

Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant and the

F-35C Carrier Variant (CV).

The F-35 is a huge international military

aircraft programme and it is estimated that

over 3,000 will be produced. Lockheed

Martin is the main contractor and other

major contractors are BAE SYSTEMS,

Northrop Grumman and Pratt & Whitney.

There is also lesser participation from Italy,

Japan, Israel, Korea, Netherlands, Australia,

Canada, Denmark, Norway and Turkey. The

programme aims to deliver a stealthy,

multi-role attack aircraft capable of

operating from land and sea.

From its inception, the F-35 or as it was

initially known the ‘Joint Strike Fighter’ was

regarded as an international programme to

offer a fifth-generation aircraft to nations

which could not independently fund such

an aircraft. It was primarily designed for

air-to-surface but also air-to-air missions.

The F-35 incorporates stealth technology

and can fly as part of a network for efficient

tasking able to deliver weapons effectively

and with precision.

BAE’s major role in the F-35

BAE has a substantial part to play in the

F-35 programme with a 13-15% workshare

of each aircraft and when it reaches peak

production, it will be worth some £1bn to

UK industry alone, with an estimated

‡ USAF F-35A 5058

at the RIAT Fairford

on 10 July 2016.

BAE plays a major

part in the global

F-35 programme

producing 13-15%

of each aircraft.

(Author)

Multi-National F-35

RAF F-35B ZM137 hovering in front of the crowds

at the RIAT Fairford on 10 July 2016 with the door

open behind the pilot for the forward fan. (Author)