NASHUA, New Hampshire — BAE Systems has received a Block 4 modernization contract award from Lockheed Martin to enhance the offensive and defensive electronic warfare capabilities of the F-35 Lightning II fighter, BAE said in a release.
Under the contract, BAE Systems will modernize its AN/ASQ-239 Electronic Warfare/Countermeasures (EW/CM) system to address emerging threats.
“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, vice president 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 program for the past 14 years, 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 program is a multiyear, multicontract design and development effort that will add 11 new capabilities to the EW system.
BAE Systems has delivered more than 500 F-35 AN/ASQ-239 EW/CM shipsets to date and is matching aircraft production with continual on-time delivery as the program ramps to full-rate production.
