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Aerospace |
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British
Aerospace Joins Lockheed Martin's JSF Bid
Paris (June 18, 1997) -- Lockheed Martin announced today that they've reached an agreement with British Aerospace to combine forces to work on the Joint Strike Fighter. Hailed as the world's largest ever military aircraft development and production competition, one of two JSF concept demonstration contracts went to Lockheed Martin. The other contract went to Boeing, now joined by the odd man out, McDonnell Douglas.
The agreement to work in partnership with Lockheed Martin gives British Aerospace an opportunity to get back in on the $718.8 million concept demonstration contract which was initially lost when the BAe/Northrop Grumman bid was eliminated in November of 1996.
Sir Richard Evans, chief executive of British Aerospace, commented on the agreement, saying, "With requirements for over 3,000 aircraft, JSF is the most significant transatlantic military program of the 21st century. We are delighted to have reached an agreement with Lockheed Martin and look forward to making a significant contribution, particularly in the areas of systems integration, low-cost design and manufacture and short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) technologies."
British Aerospace's contribution will be led by their Military Aircraft and Aerostructures division, which has a role in a number of collaboration efforts, including the VSTOL Harrier/AV-8B and Hawk aircraft. A U.S. government decision on the winning JSF design is scheduled in
2001 with initial aircraft deployment in 2008. |
The JSF is being
developed for the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps and the United Kingdom's
Royal Navy to replace several types of aircraft in current service with
the two nations, including F-16, F/A-18C/D, AV-8B and Sea Harrier.
Lockheed Martin's statement on the new alliance, stated,
"This agreement supports our objectives of forming a mutually beneficial,
long-term international partnerships. We are proud to have both British
Aerospace and Northrop Grumman on our team and view their participation
as a strong vote of confidence in our JSF program."