Israel will receive its first fifth generation Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in 2016, bolstering its offensive capability in...
Israel will receive its first fifth generation Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in 2016, bolstering its offensive capability in region.
Northrop Grumman has delivered, on schedule, the center fuselage for the first Israeli F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant designated AS-1.
Israel has ordered 33 F-35As under the U.S. government's foreign military sales program. These jets are similar to the F-35As produced for F-35 international partner countries, except they will require minor software and hardware modifications to accommodate several Israel-provided avionics components.
A core structure of the F-35 aircraft, the center fuselage was produced on Northrop Grumman's highly automated F-35 Integrated Assembly Line at its Palmdale Aircraft Integration Center of Excellence.
Northrop Grumman designed and produces the center fuselage for all three F-35 variants: the F-35A; the F-35B short takeoff vertical landing variant; and the F-35C carrier variant.
The company produced the AS-1 center fuselage as part of the eighth low rate initial production lot of F-35s. AS-1 is the 39th center delivered by Northrop Grumman from Palmdale this year.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics will perform final assembly and checkout of the F-35s in Fort Worth, Texas.
In addition to producing the jet's center fuselage, Northrop produces key F-35 radar, electro-optical, avionics and communications subsystems. It also develops mission systems and mission-planning software; develops and maintains pilot and maintainer training systems courseware; and manages the team's use, support and maintenance of low-observable technologies.
