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There are some 500 UK companies taking part in the construction of the F-35 as suppliers and collaborators with Lockheed Martin, adding up to $1bn a year in benefits for British industry.
In the fishing town of Stranraer in south-west Scotland, for example, just over 100 people work for Gentex, making the high-tech helmet systems and components worn by every F-35 Lightning II pilot.
The helmets are made from Kevlar and carbon fibre, and start life as a soft, flexible material that is ‘baked’ into shape and then trimmed by a robot using jets of pressurised water. So far, more than 400 helmet systems have been delivered and, with the fleet expected to expand to more than 3,000 jets, there are plenty more to come.
“Every new order for the F-35, be it from Japan or Belgium, includes this proportion of British content,” says Peter Ruddock, Lockheed Martin’s UK CEO.
In Buckinghamshire, Martin-Baker builds ejection seats for every F-35 jet – an area Ruddock has particular interest in, having ejected from a Hawker Hunter during his career as an RAF pilot when the aircraft suffered engine failure over the Irish Sea. The company recently completed its 500th F-35 ejection seat.
“The 500th ejection seat is a significant milestone for a significant programme and we should never forget the key role the UK plays in this exciting enterprise,” says Ruddock.
Britain is involved in more than just the jet parts. EDM in Manchester is the sole supplier of the weapon loading trainer and the ejection systems maintenance trainer, two pieces of equipment that help train air crew and ground crew on the procedures for the real jet.
EDM started working on the F-35 programme in 2007, and director Mick Bonney says it has boosted the company’s fortunes. “We have grown significantly and one of the major reasons for the investment in our current facility was the F-35 contract,” he says. “In 2007 we were about 100 people with a turnover of £5m. We are now 200 people with a turnover of £25m. The F-35 project has contributed significantly to that growth.”
The F-35 programme has generated $13.5bn in contracts for the UK, with others involved including Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, GE Aviation and Honeywell Aerospace. In all, F-35 production will support 20,000 UK jobs, and in 2018 Lockheed Martin accounted for 37% of all UK defence exports, the majority relating to the F-35.
“We should not underestimate the value of that contribution, and the programme is growing,” says Ruddock.
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.