The US has awarded Lockheed Martin a $991-million contract to deliver 432 modification kits for the F-35 electronic warfare system.
The US Department of Defense has awarded Lockheed Martin a $991.12-million contract to deliver 432 modification kits for the F-35 Lightning II electronic warfare system.
The specific upgrade package has not been officially disclosed, but it is expected to form part of the Block 4 modernization effort, which enhances the aircraft’s electronic warfare capability in response to emerging threats.
Of the total, 193 kits will be installed on US military aircraft, including 97 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing fighters, 54 F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing jets, and 42 F-35C carrier variants.
The remaining kits will be delivered to international operators, with 106 allocated to foreign military sales customers and 133 to partner nations participating in the program.
Production will take place in Fort Worth, Texas, with deliveries scheduled through March 2032.
Electronic Warfare Suite Modification
The F-35 is the Western world’s primary fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft, operated by the US military and more than a dozen allied and partner nations worldwide.
Its AN/ASQ-239 electronic warfare suite provides radio-frequency and infrared countermeasures, enabling rapid detection, jamming, and deception of hostile radar and communications systems, while delivering a 360-degree battlespace awareness picture that enhances pilot situational awareness.
The contract reflects the rapid evolution of adversary air defense systems, particularly in China and Russia, where advanced radar technologies are being developed to detect and track low-observable aircraft.
It follows earlier efforts to upgrade the AN/ASQ-239 for the Block 4 configuration of the aircraft.
The upgraded electronic warfare suite forms a core element of Block 4 modernization, improving sensing and signal-processing performance and enabling the detection and tracking of more complex and numerous threats, including low-observable and “difficult-to-observe” targets.
