5 Major Contractors On The F-35 Lightning II Program

The F-35 Lightning II
fighter jet is one of the most advanced and complicated aircraft ever produced. While Lockheed Martin
is the prime contractor, a much larger network of contractors actually produces the aircraft’s various components. Many of the

components for the F-35 are produced by US allies around the world
. Here are some of the top subcontractors and significant contributors.

1

Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman
is one of the two main subtractors for the program (the other being BAE Systems). It produces the B-2 Spirit and the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider
strategic bombers. Plus it was an early competitor for the F-35 program (in the end, only Lockheed and Boeing produced prototypes).

Photo: 1st Lt. Charles Allen | 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing | US Marines

Northop produces the F-35’s center fuselage, upper wing skins and covers, AN/APG-81 AESA radar, and communications subsystems and provides sustainment services. Northrop Grumman states, “Northrop Grumman leads physical design activities for the internal weapons bays and collaborates with Lockheed Martin on functional design activities.“

2

BAE Systems

BAE Systems produces 13-15% of the F-35

BAE is the largest British defense contractor, and it is a principal partner in the F-35 program.BAE states “As a key partner, we hold a 13-15% workshare of each aircraft, excluding propulsion, and we play a major role in the programme across multiple markets.” BAE also says “We bring decades of experience in short take-off and vertical landing from our Harrier aircraft which has informed the technology behind the F-35, and are the lead design authority on crucial capabilities including the fuel system, crew escape and life support system.”

Photo: Aqeela_Image | Shutterstock

The contractor provides the rear fuselage, tail sections, some avionics, software code (including that for cockpit display), fuel management, and more. BAE has been a key contributor to the program since its inception. While the rear section of every F-35 fuselage is built in the United Kingdom, BAE partners in Australia and Canada do some other work – like that on the tail.

3

Pratt & Whitney

Pratt & Whitney supplies the engines for every F-35 fighter jet

At the heart of the F-35 is the Pratt & Whitney
F135 afterburning turbofan, which was developed for the aircraft (it successfully outcompeted the GE/Rolls-Royce F136). The F135 is development from the Pratt & Whitney F119 engine (which was built for the F-22 Raptor). The F135 provides some 28,000 lbf of thrust and 43,000 lbs with the afterburner.

The total flyaway cost of an F-35 is around $100 million, and the engine is a significant share, costing around $15. While Pratt & Whitney may have out-competed Rolls-Royce, Rolls-Royce still has a big hand in the F-35B variant as it produces the LiftSystem (it is the only company producing STOVL technology). The F135 comes in two variants – one for the F-35A and F-35C variants and one for the F-35B variant.

4

Raytheon Technologies

Raytheon produces many of the key munitions and avonics

Raytheon is another important contractor for the F-35 program, supplying many of its vital parts – as Raytheon puts it, “We don’t make the F-35 – we just make the important parts.” Raytheon boasts, “every time the F-35 does something, there’s a good chance an RTX product played a part.“

Photo: Aqeela_Image l Shutterstock

Significantly, Raytheon produces the precision weapons that the F-35 uses for air-to-air combat and for air-to-ground strikes. It also built a navigation system that helped aircraft land on aircraft carriers and austere airfields. Raytheon also supplies various other avionic systems like sensors, communication equipment, and radars.

5

Collins Aerospace

Collins produces the Gen III Helmet Mounted Display System and more

Collins Aerospace
makes the aircraft’s visor that shows pilots what’s happening in the skies, providing them with incredible situational awareness. Collins states, “The F-35 Gen III Helmet Mounted Display System’s next-generation interface provides pilots with intuitive access to vast quantities of flight, tactical, and sensor information for advanced situational awareness, precision, and safety.” Besides the visor, Collins contributes to the aircraft’s avionics and communication systems.

Photo: Aqeela_Image l Shutterstock

While

Collins is a leading supplier of ejector seats
, the F-35s are fitted with rival British Martin Baker US16E ejection seats. There are plenty of other important contractors in the program, including Spirit AeroSystems (which produces the forward fuselage and wings) and Leonardo (which produces the cockpit canopy and avionics).