NORTHROP GRUMMAN has joined the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) team. Lockheed Martin says that the deal does not preclude a teaming agreement with British Aerospace, also being courted by rival JSF contractor Boeing.
Northrop Grumman will bring experience with low-observable and carrier-borne aircraft, as well as systems integration and subcontract work on commercial aircraft, Lockheed Martin says.
Northrop Grumman was in the losing McDonnell Douglas (MDC) JSF team with BAe. MDC teamed with Boeing in January, independently of their planned merger, leaving BAe and Northrop Grumman without a JSF partner. Privately, Boeing and Lockheed Martin express frustration that the UK company has been slow to decide which team to join.
BAe is sticking to the line that it will make a "decision soon" based largely on which contender it thinks is most likely to win the competition and which will offer it the most attractive workshare.
Between them, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman have built all operational stealth aircraft. Their experience in supporting low-observable aircraft will be critical to reducing the JSF operating cost, believes Dain Hancock, president of Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems, which leads the JSF team.
Northrop Grumman's commercial-manufacturing business is also expected to play an important part in ensuring the affordability of Lockheed Martin's proposed JSF, officials suggest. The company builds major sections of Boeing airliners, using commercial processes similar to those which Boeing plans to exploit in building its JSF.
Boeing says that MDC is restricted to performing specific tasks on its JSF team until the merger receives anti-trust approval. McDonnell Douglas Aerospace is expected to take over leadership of Boeing's military-aircraft business, but the two JSF concept-demonstrator aircraft will be built in Seattle. Lockheed Martin will build its demonstrators at the Skunk Works in Palmdale.
Source: Flight International
