The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) assigned the first countries in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region to perform component repairs of the F-35 Lightning II. The assignments announced on November 7 cover 8 percent of the repairable work the DOD plans to make available outside of the U.S.
There are 774 components—divided into 18 categories such as avionics, ejection seats and fuel, mechanical and hydraulic systems—that require maintenance on the F-35. The DOD named three F-35 program partners responsible for the first 65 near-term component repair requirements: the UK for 48, the Netherlands for 14 and Australia for three. They will serve F-35s worldwide from 2021 through 2025. The DOD will assign responsibility for the remaining components over the next two to three years; it plans to eventually establish additional regional facilities for all 774 components.
The British Ministry of Defence (MOD) in a press release said sustainment work on European-based F-35s will generate hundreds of millions of pounds for the UK defense industry, potentially increasing to £2 billion in support revenue over the life of the F-35 program. The UK offer is based on a partnership of the MOD’s Defence Electronics and Components Agency and manufacturers BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman. The work will be centered at MOD Sealand in Flintshire, Wales, where 400 people are currently employed.
“This establishes Britain as a hub for all European F-35s and is hugely positive news for our high-tech and innovative defense industry,” said Defence Secretary Michael Fallon. “It is an endorsement of the skills and capabilities the UK offers; will help create hundreds of high-end jobs, safeguard thousands more and be a substantial boost to UK exports.”
For the period after 2025, the DOD assigned 51 of the first 65 components to the UK and 14 to the Netherlands. In the Asia-Pacific region, it assigned 64 components to Australia and one to Korea, with the latter nation to start repairs at that time.
The DOD said it provided requirements for F-35 global repair needs to participating countries, offering them the opportunity to provide support beyond their own F-35 requirements. Forward basing, aircraft phasing and transportation considerations also influenced the initial assignment decisions.
“This is the first of many opportunities we will have to assign F-35 global sustainment solutions for component repair work,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan, F-35 program executive officer. “As international F-35 deliveries increase and global operations expand, support provided by our international F-35 users becomes increasingly more important.”
Other aspects of F-35 sustainment are taking shape. Last month, the DOD issued requests for information for F-35 warehousing and non-air vehicle repairs; responses will be assessed next year, the department said.
In 2014, the DOD assigned near-term airframe maintenance responsibility to Italy’s Final Assembly and Checkout (Faco) facility in Cameri, supplemented by BAE Systems in the UK. F135 engine heavy maintenance in the European region will initially be provided by Turkey in 2018, supplemented by Norway and the Netherlands within two to three years.
Japan and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will perform airframe maintenance in the Northern Pacific region; Australia and BAE Systems are responsible for the Southern Pacific region. Engine heavy maintenance will initially by provided by Australia and Queensland-based turbine engine maintenance provider TAE. Japan and IHI Corporation of Tokyo will provide additional capacity within three to five years.
In a separate development on November 2, the DOD said it “definitized” a $6.1 billion contract with Lockheed Martin for low-rate initial production (LRIP) lot 9 fighters, consisting of 57 F-35s. The contract covers air vehicles only; the Pentagon and F135 engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney concluded a $1.4 billion contract in April for 66 LRIP 9 engines.
The LRIP 9 price for air vehicles represents a 3.7 percent reduction from the LRIP 8 contract signed in December 2014, and is a “fair and reasonable deal for the U.S. government, the international partnership and industry,” Bogdan stated. In a statement it provided to media outlets, however, Lockheed Martin described the award as a “unilateral contract action” by the Pentagon, and said it was disappointed.
The LRIP 9 fighters begin delivering in 2017; they will join 209 F-35s contracted under LRIP lots 1-8. As of early this month, 196 F-35s, including test aircraft, had been delivered from Lockheed Martin’s production facility in Fort Worth, Texas and the Faco in Italy.
Once the production of LRIP 9 fighters is completed, more than 250 F-35s will be in operation by eight nations.
