CPI Aerostructures (CPI Aero) has been contracted by Lockheed Martin to produce canopy actuation drive shaft assemblies for the F-35 Lightning II advanced multi-role fighter.

The latest multi-year contract, worth $15.8m, is CPI Aero’s second contract with Lockheed Martin for F-35 structural assemblies.

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CPI Aero president and CEO Douglas McCrosson said: “This is an important win for CPI Aero as it increases CPI Aero content on the F-35, our nation’s largest military aircraft programme, and further strengthens our ties to Lockheed, the largest defence prime contractor in the world.

“Coming on the heels of our first F-35 assembly delivery, I am confident that Lockheed Martin views us as having attributes that define successful defence contracting: quality, performance and affordability.”

Under the new contract with Lockheed Martin’s Aeronautics division based in Fort Worth, Texas, US, CPI Aero will provide four different drive shaft assemblies.

“Delivery of the F-35 canopy drive shaft assemblies is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2018 and continue through to 31 December 2022.”

These assemblies are used within the actuation system that opens and closes the cockpit canopy of all three variants of the aircraft, including the F-35A conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) variant, the F-35B short take-off / vertical landing (STOVL) variant, and the F-35C carrier variant (CV).

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Delivery of the F-35 canopy drive shaft assemblies is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2018 and continue through to 31 December 2022.

In May, CPI Aero delivered lock assemblies for the arresting gear door of the F-35A CTOL variant as part of a $10.6m multi-year contract awarded in 2015.

The F-35 Lightning II is a single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multi-role fighter that can perform ground attack, aerial reconnaissance, and air defence missions.

The US Department of Defense plans to acquire more than 2,400 F-35s by 2034 and 11 other countries also have plans to acquire the aircraft.

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