Northrop Grumman has delivered its 1,500th centre fuselage for the F-35 Lightning II programme from its Integrated Assembly Line in Palmdale, California, the company stated.
The milestone was reached on 12 January and reflects continued production of centre fuselage sections for all three variants of the F-35 stealth fighter. Northrop Grumman said the work forms a core element of its role as a principal partner on the international F-35 programme. According to the company, the Palmdale Integrated Assembly Line uses advanced manufacturing technologies to produce a completed centre fuselage approximately every 30 hours. The single production line supports assembly for the conventional take-off and landing, short take-off and vertical landing, and carrier variants of the aircraft.
Northrop Grumman said the use of augmented and virtual reality tools has contributed to reductions in assembly time and technician training requirements, supporting increased production efficiency. As part of the wider F-35 industrial team, Northrop Grumman is responsible for several major systems and structures. The company produces the aircraft’s AN/APG-81 active electronically scanned array radar and the integrated communications, navigation and identification system, as well as wing skins and elements of the aircraft’s low observable technologies.
In addition to manufacturing responsibilities, Northrop Grumman also provides sustainment support for F-35 operators in the United States and internationally, according to the company.
I guess that means we have made 1500 after fuselage sections as well. For all the talk of China being an unassailable industrial power, when the west puts its collective capacity to the task, it can still thoroughly outclass anyone else.
Hopefully the MAGA verse wakes up to that fact before it’s is too late.
That is still only ~290 frames per year.
Whilst having another 1,500 (produced) and 1,200 over the next ~4 years across NATO does give considerable inventory.
How much of this plane due we make?
Orange man has just slapped us with a 10% tariff on all goods until we support his Greenland ‘liberation’ plan🙄
Yep it’s great he’s now undertaking active political warfare again is allies who have objected in a reasonable way to him threatening to randomly invade another ally….
I’m pretty sure the US actually has an insane person for a president.
As you know, Jacko, I had my doubts about the EPG from the start. Was that one officer worth the 10%… 🤷🏽