Kitron AS and Northrop Grumman sign agreement for F-35 aircraft avionics
NewsOctober 02, 2015
SAN DIEGO. Norway-based company Kitron AS and Northrop Grumman have signed a long-term agreement, in which Northrop Grumman will supply subassembly electronic modules for F-35 Lighting II aircraft avionics. The agreement includes rights for future extensions and is effective through 2036.
The F-35’s Communication, Navigation, and Identification (CNI) provides pilots with more than 27 avionic functions including voice and data communications, Northrop Grumman officials say. The design uses software-defined radio technology that allows for simultaneous operation of multiple functions while meeting size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements.
"The CNI system is critically important to the F-35 and provides the aircraft with its ability to be integrated into the wider battlespace," says Andrew Tyler, chief executive, Europe, Northrop Grumman. "This agreement will further strengthen the deep partnership with Norway that we have built up over the years and which dates back to 1940."
Northrop Grumman also selected Kitron AS for a four-year contract to develop a test program set for evaluation and troubleshooting F-35 avionics. The test equipment consists of Interface Test Assemblies that work with the LM-START system, developed by Lockheed Martin.
The first F-35 Lighting II aircraft was delivered to Norway in September 2015.
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