Following is news on Turkey's involvment in JSF Program & recently offered partnership in EF-2000.
F-35 to Bring 5th Generation Capabilities to Turkish Air Force
ANKARA, TURKEY: Turkey is positioning itself to take delivery of the world's most advanced, international multi-role fighter. The first F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is nearing completion and is preparing for its first flight next year. The program continues to meet milestones on schedule as evidenced most recently on Sept. 7, when electrical power to the aircraft was switched on for the first time.
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] executive vice president and general manager of F-35 JSF program integration, Tom Burbage, told reporters at the International Defence Industry Fair in Ankara, Turkey that the F-35 defines all the advancements of a true fifth-generation fighter. Turkey is a critical alliance member and an international partner on the F-35, playing a vital role in the development of the world's fifth-generation multi-role stealth fighter.
Lockheed Martin has been providing Turkey with fighter jets since 1951 and the F-35 is the next step in enabling the Turkish Air Force to share logistics, training systems, tactics and strategies with the alliances and coalitions of tomorrow.
"Over the last 50 years, Turkey and Lockheed Martin have established a strong relationship based on a foundation of trust and a shared interest in preserving peace and stability in the world, including their latest decision to modernize their F-16 fleet," Burbage said. "With Turkey's choice of JSF, we are looking to a bright future with the potential of extending our relationship another 50 years."
The F-35 is the world's first stealthy multi-role joint strike fighter, designed to enable true joint and coalition application of air power, with a host of fifth-generation capabilities unavailable today. Turkish industry continues to play a vital role in the development of the F-35. Seven Turkish companies have received JSF contracts, and Lockheed Martin continues to seek out additional F-35 industrial opportunities for Turkish businesses. Negotiations are under way between the Turkish and U.S. governments through the Production and Sustainment Follow-On Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) process, to ensure the JSF program satisfies Turkey's long-term industrial and defense needs.
"JSF strengthens us both by engaging Turkey's deep pool of aerospace talent not only for manufacturing activities, but also for actual design inputs into the F-35 aircraft. It will be a proud day for Lockheed Martin when we can look back and proclaim a century of success with Turkey," Burbage said.
The stealthy F-35 is a supersonic, multi-role, fifth generation fighter designed to replace aging AV-8B Harriers, A-10s, F-16s, F/A-18 Hornets and United Kingdom Harrier GR.7s and Sea Harriers.
The first JSF test aircraft, a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35A, is scheduled to make its inaugural flight in the third quarter of 2006. Component-level assembly is under way for the short-takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B, which will be the second aircraft to enter flight testing.
Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development: one by Pratt & Whitney and the other by the General Electric Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 130,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2004 sales of $35.5 billion.
Source: DT News
Link: http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/article_003596.php
Turkish and Australian Firms to Work on JSF
SAN DIEGO: Northrop Grumman Corporation has signed contracts with Australian firm CSC Australia Pty. Ltd., and Turkish firm MiKES (Mikrodalga Elektronic Sistemler Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S.), for work on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.
CSC Australia will provide the test program set and interface test adapter for the communications, navigation and identification (CNI) avionics interface controller, which lets the CNI system work with other systems on the F-35. A wholly owned subsidiary of Computer Sciences Corporation, CSC Australia has been involved in major defense projects for almost 30 years.
MiKES will provide power-conditioning electronics for the early design phases of Northrop Grumman's CNI avionics system. MiKES is a defense electronic design and manufacturing house specializing in electronic warfare.
The CNI avionics are being developed by the Radio Systems business unit of Northrop Grumman's Space Technology sector, under contract to Lockheed Martin. When fully developed, the system will enable more than 35 critical CNI functions for the F-35.
"We chose CSC Australia and MiKES for their best-value solutions as we continue to leverage the expertise of the program's international partners," said Judy Hertzberg, director of Radio Systems Supply Chain Management. "We remain committed to international participation opportunities with all our partner countries."
In Australia, Northrop Grumman has additional F-35 contracts with GKN Aerospace in Victoria, BAE Systems in South Australia, Cablex in Victoria, Hawker de Havilland in Victoria, Micreo in Queensland, Production Parts in Victoria, Vipac Engineers and Scientists Ltd., Victoria and Ferra in Queensland. In Turkey, the company has an additional contract with Aselsan in Ankara, Kalekalip in Istanbul and Tusas Aerospace Industries in Ankara.
Northrop Grumman's CNI system utilizes sophisticated software-defined radio technology to simultaneously support numerous capabilities such as various voice and data communications, automatic acquisition of fly-to points and friend-or-foe identification. The system can also dynamically reconfigure these functions to support priorities defined by missions. Using software-defined radio technology, Northrop Grumman's CNI system is a fraction of the size and weight of the single-function radios previously required to implement the same functions. This "smart-box" approach allows for increased performance, quicker deployment, higher availability, enhanced scalability and lower lifecycle cost.
Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. The F-35 is a next-generation, supersonic, multi-role, stealth aircraft designed to replace a wide range of aging fighter and strike aircraft. Three variants derived from a common design will ensure the F-35 meets the performance needs of the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy and allied defense forces worldwide, while staying within strict affordability targets.
The international signatories -- the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway -- have had direct input in the design phase of the aircraft and companies worldwide are participating in the F-35's development. More recently, Israel and Singapore have joined the F-35 program as security cooperative participants.
Northrop Grumman plays a critical role in the development and demonstration of the F-35. Responsibilities range from integrating a major section of the aircraft's structure to producing key avionics and communications subsystems to developing mission-planning software and training systems.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense company headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif. Northrop Grumman provides technologically advanced, innovative products, services and solutions in systems integration, defense electronics, information technology, advanced aircraft, shipbuilding and space technology. With more than 125,000 employees, and operations in all 50 states and 25 countries, Northrop Grumman serves U.S. and international military, government and commercial customers.
Source: DT News
Link: http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/article_003601.php
