Lockheed Martin Puts JSF Design on a Diet

Sea Power, May 2004

Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems has established an additional design team charged with reducing the weight of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), the next generation tactical fighter for the U.S. armed forces. The empty weight of the aircraft as currently designed will be over the desired weight for its service entry.

The Lockheed Martin JSF team is not planning any changes to the aircraft's structural outer shape. The team will focus on reducing weight in such areas as the aircraft's skin thickness, said Tom Burbage, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager for the JSF program. "Some departure in commonality in piece parts is required," he said, emphasizing that the number of parts unique to each version is minimal.

The delivery of the first major subassembly of the first F-35 - now two years from its first flight - is expected in june, Burbage said. The company will build the first two F-35s - an F-35A conventional takeoff-and-landing jet and an F-35B short takeoff-and-verticallanding version - and fly them in early summer 2006. The company will build 12 more development aircraft with mission systems installed, as well as eight static test airframes. The first missionsystem-equipped development F-35 aircraft are scheduled to fly in 2007.