New contract for BAE Systems for electronic warfare systems on F-35

The contract is to provide advanced situational awareness and threat response capabilities that support critical missions.

The rear section of every American F-35 is built at BAE Systems’ state of the art advanced manufacturing and assembly facilities in Lancashire.

The contract will help to safeguard jobs in Lancashire and elsewhere amid economic uncertainty.

BAE Systems Air division employs around 10,000 people.

Deborah Norton, vice president of F-35 Solutions at BAE Systems, said: “Our goal is to deliver capabilities that provide warfighters with a distinct advantage on the battlefield.

“This contract underscores our partnership with Lockheed Martin and our collective commitment to deliver affordable, sustainable, and world-class electronic warfare systems to combat evolving threats.”

The contract follows BAE Systems’ production and delivery of more than 500 EW systems for the F-35 as a key system partner, matching Lockheed Martin’s airframe production.

BAE Systems supports all stages of the product’s lifecycle, from development and production to sustainment.

At the defence giant’s Samlesbury site, around 1,400 employees are involved in the advanced manufacture of the aft fuselage, horizontal and vertical tails for each F-35 variant.

BAE Systems delivers around 15 per cent of each fifth generation aircraft globally from its facilities in the UK.