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BAE SYSTEMS F-35 JSF Ew Suite Ready To Fly

26 Aug 2004

BAE Systems today celebrated early delivery of its low-cost, lightweight, Electronic Warfare (EW) suite to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., for development of the next-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a multi-role, supersonic, stealth aircraft.

The EW suite, provided by BAE Systems Information & Electronic Warfare Systems (IEWS), will serve as the nerve center for F-35 pilots, enhancing their situational awareness and self-protection through next generation threat identification, monitoring, analysis and countermeasures.

Special guests included Chairman Duncan Hunter of the House Armed Services Committee and Reps. Charles Bass and Jeb Bradley.

Its truly an honor to represent employees in this district that have delivered a product on-time, under-cost and underweight to such an important project, said Bass.

Since the award selection in 2001, BAE Systems has been focused on developing an affordable lightweight EW suite to be delivered on-time, said Dan Gobel, BAE Systems JSF EW program director. During the System Development and Demonstration phase, BAE Systems has reduced the overall cost of the EW suite by $3 billion in total ownerships costs and reduced the weight of the EW suite by 60 pounds per aircraft.

During a ribbon-cutting ceremony, before 300 JSF team members, at the new Joint Systems Integration Lab at BAE Systems Canal Street facility in Nashua, Tom Burbage, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and general manager for F-35 Program Integration, said, This is a key systems integration milestone for the Joint Strike Fighter Program. Early EW integration further underscores the importance of BAE Systems involvement to overall Team JSF success in meeting our customers cost and schedule requirements.

We have transitioned from design to the first flyable hardware and software. Our system is now ready to fly, Gobel said.

BAE Systems is now slated to start testing the EW system hardware on Lockheed Martins Cooperative Avionics Testbed (CATB) aircraft in 2005.

Early testing means the EW system including radar warning, electronic support measures, embedded low observable apertures and countermeasures will be provided to a longer period in integration. That allows us more leeway in providing the best possible systems to the production aircraft, said Gobel.

BAE Systems IEWS unit, headquartered in Nashua, has overall responsibility for the JSF Electronic Warfare system integration. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is being developed for the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, as well as the U.K.s Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, to replace the A-10, the Harrier, the F-16 and the F/A-18 Hornet.

About BAE SYSTEMS

BAE Systems is an international company engaged in the development, delivery, and support of advanced defence and aerospace systems in the air, on land, at sea, and in space. The company designs, manufactures, and supports military aircraft, surface ships, submarines, radar, avionics, communications, electronics, and guided weapon systems. It is a pioneer in technology with a heritage stretching back hundreds of years. It is at the forefront of innovation, working to develop the next generation of intelligent defence systems.

BAE Systems has major operations across five continents and customers in some 130 countries. The company employs more than 90,000 people and generates annual sales of more than 12 billion through its wholly owned and joint-venture operations.

BAE Systems North America is a high-technology U.S. company employing more than 25,000 people who live and work in some 30 states, the District of Columbia, and the United Kingdom. The company is dedicated to solving its customers needs with highly innovative and leading edge solutions across the defence electronics, systems, information technology, and services arenas.

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Warfare Systems employs 6,900 people at 13 major facilities in eight states. The business unit is a major producer of aircraft self-protection systems and tactical surveillance and intelligence systems for all branches of the armed forces. IEWS provides products and services in four major lines of business: Electronic Warfare/Electronic Protection, Electronic Warfare/Information Warfare, Integrated Defense Solutions, and Mission Electronics.