Defence

BAE Systems to enhance F-35 Electronic Warfare capabilities

Posted 22 August 2019

BAE Systems has received a Block 4 Modernisation contract award from Lockheed Martin to enhance the offensive and defensive electronic warfare (EW) capabilities of the F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

Above: A 33rd Fighter Wing F-35A Lightning II flies over Volk Field, Wisconsin, during Northern Lightning, 22nd August 2016.
Courtesy USAF

Under the contract, BAE Systems will modernise its AN/ASQ-239 electronic warfare/countermeasures (EW/CM) system to address emerging threats and maintain US and allied warfighters' ability to safely conduct missions in contested airspace.

"The F-35 will be in service for decades and we're committed to providing our pilots with an AN/ASQ-239 capability that affords a decisive and sustained EW operational advantage," said Deborah Norton, VP of F-35 Solutions at BAE Systems. "Our robust, modular architecture enables us to efficiently insert new capabilities, supporting the next wave of technical innovation while proactively addressing total product lifecycle sustainability."

BAE Systems has been the EW supplier for the F-35 programme for the past 14 years, successfully designing and developing the Block 1, Block 2 and Block 3 configurations and delivering production units for each of the Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lots 1-11.

The Block 4 programme is a multi-year, multi-contract design and development effort that will add eleven new capabilities to the EW system. These improvements will be made as part of the new F-35 agile contracting and development paradigm called Continuous Capability Development and Delivery (C2D2). The C2D2 construct is one in which capabilities are continuously being developed and fielded in 6-12 month intervals, providing warfighters with incremental enhancements to keep pace with the evolving threats.

BAE Systems has delivered more than 500 F-35 AN/ASQ-239 EW/CM shipsets to date and is currently matching aircraft production with continual on-time delivery as the programme ramps to full-rate production. As part of its rigorous development process, the company invested in process automation, facility optimisation, quality assurance, human capital and supply chain excellence to deliver capabilities to the warfighter with speed and agility.