The company said every F-35 currently in operation carries Northrop Grumman equipment. Its work on the aircraft includes center fuselages, wings, advanced radar and communications systems.
The range of equipment gives Northrop Grumman a role in both the F-35’s physical structure and its onboard mission capabilities. Germany’s first aircraft extends that industrial contribution to another European member of the international F-35 program.
Northrop Grumman is working with Rheinmetall to increase F-35 production in Europe. The company said the partnership is intended to support the growing fleet and reinforce the aircraft’s global supply chain.
The cooperation brings together U.S. and European engineering and manufacturing capacity. Northrop Grumman said the expanded industrial base will help provide NATO air forces with F-35 capabilities in a more demanding security environment.
