F-35 fighter aircraft to get EW upgrades
NewsAugust 21, 2019
NASHUA, N.H. BAE Systems has received a Block 4 Modernization contract award from Lockheed Martin to enhance the offensive and defensive electronic warfare (EW) capabilities of the F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
Under the terms of the contract, BAE Systems will modernize its AN/ASQ-239 Electronic Warfare/Countermeasures (EW/CM) system so that it can better address emerging threats and can maintain U.S. and allied warfighters’ ability to safely conduct missions in contested airspace.
The Block 4 program is a multiyear, multicontract design/development effort that will add 11 new capabilities to the AN/ASQ-239 EW/CM system.
Deborah Norton, VP of F-35 Solutions at BAE Systems, said of the win: “The F-35 will be in service for decades, and we’re committed to providing our pilots with an AN/ASQ-239 capability that affords a decisive and sustained EW operational advantage. Our robust, modular architecture enables us to efficiently insert new capabilities, supporting the next wave of technical innovation while proactively addressing total product life cycle sustainability.”
