Lockheed Martin awarded $19.8 million contract to study JSM integration onto F-35

The US Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin a $19.8 million modification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-fee F-35 Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) IV contract.

The contract modification is for a Kongsberg Joint Strike Missile (JSM) risk reduction study for the Norwegian Ministry of Defence. Lockheed says that Norway is paying for the study with its own funds. No US monies are being put towards the JSM effort, the company emphasizes.

The study will include physical fit checks, wind tunnel tests, engineering analysis, and designing and building of an emulator and adapter "to determine next steps in integrating the JSM into the F-35" according to the US Department of Defense.

The study should be completed by May 2014.

Source: Flight International