The F-35, already considered the most advanced and deadliest fighter jet in the world, is about to get even more dangerous.
Lockheed Martin recently announced that it selected aerospace company Raytheon to design and deliver the aircraft’s Distributed Aperture System (DAS)—an advanced 360-degree situational awareness system that allows the pilot to “see” through the aircraft’s body to the surrounding environment.
Originally developed by Northrop Grumman, the DAS consists of six infrared sensors mounted on the aircraft’s body that provide long-range detection and near-20/20 visual clarity. The sensors feed these real-time images into the pilot’s helmet-mounted display. This provides the pilot with a continuous, unobstructed, seamless view of the ground and sky—at any angle, day or night. The system also automatically identifies and tracks threats such as incoming missiles, and it links with friendly DAS systems to facilitate coordination among wingmen.
Lockheed Martin said that the change in provider will reduce costs while enhancing the system’s capabilities. The new Raytheon DAS is expected to cost $3 billion less than Northrop’s system over the lifetime of the program, with an estimated 45 percent reduction in the price per unit and a 50 percent cut to sustainment costs. The new system will also provide five times the reliability and twice the performance of the earlier system, according to a Lockheed Martin news release.
Northrop Grumman declined to bid on developing the next-generation system, saying it was not an attractive business deal. However, the company will continue to be part of the F-35 program by servicing the legacy DAS. Northrop has delivered the DAS for all F-35 aircraft built thus far and will continue to do so through Lot 14 aircraft. Raytheon’s DAS will then be integrated first into Lot 15 F-35s, with deliveries expected to start in 2023.
The U.S. Air Force is pressuring Lockheed to reduce the cost of operating and sustaining the fifth-generation F-35 to the same levels as current fourth-generation fighters such as the F-16. If the company is unable to reduce costs to this requested level, the Air Force could scale back its planned purchase of F-35As, the most prevalent variant of the fighter jet.
A more advanced—and more affordable—sensor system not only makes the F-35 more dangerous; it also helps the aircraft’s manufacturer cut costs and keeps the fighter jet program viable.
Read more about the F-35 fighter jet at Lockheed Martin to Expand F-35 Production.