Lockheed Martin plans to establish Italy’s Alenia Aeronautica as a source of F-35 wings as production ramps up. The wing is the first major subassembly to be second sourced as the company finalises the industrial participation on offer to partner nations as they decide whether to sign up for the production and sustainment phase of the Joint Strike Fighter programme.
“Alenia will start with the outer wing panels, then the centre wing, then they will mate and send complete wing assemblies,” says Ed Linhart, Lockheed vice-president JSF production operations. “They will provide 50% of the wings at rate [production].” The wing section is produced by Lockheed, but second sources are also planned for the Northrop Grumman-built centre fuselage and BAE Systems-produced aft fuselage. “We have to make certain the supply chain has rate capability,” says Linhart. “We will not get to an affordable aircraft by keeping it all in-house. The more subassemblies we place with smaller, lower-overhead companies, the better price we will get.”
Italy has also expressed interest in hosting a final assembly and check-out (FACO) facility for European JSFs. “There is a government-to-government agreement that a FACO is acceptable. The next step is a decision by Italy,” says Tom Burbage, Lockheed executive vice-president and general manager F-35 programme integration, stressing that Italy will have to pay for the FACO and that the facility will be operated by Lockheed. “We are responsible for the aircraft.”
Source: Flight International
