Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has commenced the production of the Command, Control, Communications and Computing (C4) systems for the Adir- F-35I, Israel’s variant of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
The move marks a major milestone in the launch of advanced, domestically-developed avionic system capabilities to the multinational F-35 programme.
The IAI-built C4 system uses generic communications infrastructure based on the latest Software Defined Radios (SDR), to provide enhanced airborne communications network.
The new system will enable rapid software and hardware development cycles to facilitate affordable modernisation and support of systems over the platform’s life cycle.
IAI LAHAV division General Manager Benni Cohen said: "This cutting edge avionic system represents an ‘operational quantum leap’ in the capability of air power to conduct networked-centric air warfare."
"It is part of a major change that takes place once in a decade, which includes the upgrading of 4th Generation systems.
"This program will be critical to our national security as it represents a shift in air forces’ concepts of operations (CONOPS) and operational capabilities."
Last month, the company secured a contract modification for the production of 40 wing sets for the F-35 JSF.
The contract is a modification of the original $2.5bn contract awarded through Lockheed Martin in 2014 for the production of more than 800 pairs of F-35 wings within ten to 15 years.
