FORT WORTH, Texas — Lockheed Martin’s [LMT] F-35 final checkout and assembly (FACO) facilities in Italy and Japan are key to the program’s maturity going forward, according to a company executive.
Lockheed Martin Vice President and General Manager for F-35 Lorraine Martin told reporters last week the FACO facilities are like “mini Fort Worths,” or smaller versions of the company’s massive F-35 production facility here. The buildings even look similar, which shouldn’t be surprising, she said, as Lockheed Martin partnered with the two nations to build the facilities. Lockheed Martin opened the Italian FACO in July and Japan’s FACO is currently being built.
Lockheed Martin will build, assemble and apply the finishing touches to Italy’s F-35s at its FACO facility, Martin said, in a partnership with Alenia Aermacchi, a division of Finmecannica. Alenia will also produce wings for the Italian F-35s as well as jets for partner nations.
The F-35s built at the Italian FACO will be delivered to the Defense Department before being formally handed over to the Italian government, similar to the process done here in Fort Worth.
Martin said the Italian FACO is crucial to the F-35 program as it could also serve other European F-35 nations.
“I think each country will make their own decision as to where they would have their sustainment done,” Martin said. “But clearly Italy is going to have a great capability that will be available for whoever chooses to use it.”
Martin said Italian FACO currently has a jet that will roll out near the end of 2014 for delivery in 2015. Martin also said the facility will produce jets at a rate of two per month once it reaches full rate production (FRP), which is scheduled for around 2018-2019.
Italy and Japan are the only two partner F-35 nations with FACOs. Martin said a FACO was not offered to South Korea as part of the company’s bid for the nation’s multi-billion dollar fighter jet upgrade competition.
Martin said 2013 has been a key year for the F-35 program because the company has achieved significant milestones like standing up U.S. operations with skill and effectiveness and maturing its relationship with its Pentagon customer. Lockheed Martin in 2013 began pilot testing; completed F-35B and C variant durability testing; delivered operational test aircraft to Eglin AFB, Fla.; and also began flight testing block 2B software, among others.
“Overall, the milestones that we’ve set for ourselves over the last three years and, specifically, over this last year, we are meeting with predictability,” Martin said prior to the company’s ceremony here for rolling out its 100th F-35. “That is extremely important to this program and to its stability and to our customer so that they know when we say we can go out and do something today, we’re doing it.”
Lockheed Martin develops the F-35 with subcontractors BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman [NOC].