BAE Systems wins new Lockheed Martin order for F-35 electronic warfare suites

BAE Systems has won another order from Lockheed Martin for F-35 electronic warfare equipment, the company announced.

The contract covers the AN/ASQ-239 suite for F-35 production Lots 20 through 22, plus hardware to retrofit and modernize aircraft already delivered. The value of the deal and the number of units involved were not released.

The AN/ASQ-239 is the F-35's onboard electronic warfare package. BAE Systems says it scans for radar and other emissions around the aircraft, identifies which ones are threats, and alerts the pilot, while also supporting self-protection and offensive electronic attack.

The suite's passive, long-range sensing is meant to let crews spot threats without revealing the aircraft's position. BAE Systems says it is designed to help the F-35 operate against enemy fighters, missiles, drones and modern integrated air defence networks.

Much of the capability lies in software, which the company says lets operators push updates against new threats without waiting for hardware changes. Amber Dolan, BAE Systems' vice president of F-35 solutions, said the business has been involved since the Joint Strike Fighter programme began and has kept revising the hardware and software.

BAE Systems has supplied the electronic warfare suite for every F-35 built to date and says it has delivered more than 1,500 systems.