Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) will supply Northrop Grumman with the composite air inlet ducts for the centre fuselage of the F-35 joint strike fighter .

The F-35 is as a fifth generation stealth fighter aircraft being developed as a joint programme by nine nations including the US, the UK and Australia.

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The inlet ducts supply will support Northrop’s production of centre fuselages during the fourth through eighth phases of low rate initial production of the fighter.

The five-year, $28.4m contract will also aid Northrop in making a smooth transition from its current rate of completing about one centre fuselage a month to an eventual rate of one centre fuselage a day.

The contract has been awarded to TAI as a second source supplier. To date all inlet ducts for F-35 aircraft were produced at Northrop’s Facility in El Segundo.

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