{"id":55464,"date":"2018-07-14T21:00:22","date_gmt":"2018-07-14T21:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/07\/14\/competition-for-f-35-electronic-warfare-system-could-be-on-the-horizon\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:56:06","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:56:06","slug":"competition-for-f-35-electronic-warfare-system-could-be-on-the-horizon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2018\/07\/14\/competition-for-f-35-electronic-warfare-system-could-be-on-the-horizon\/","title":{"rendered":"Competition for F-35 electronic warfare system could be on the horizon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

FORT WORTH, Texas \u2014 A shake-up may be coming for the F-35 supply base, as Lockheed Martin considers opening up new competitions for the jet\u2019s electronic warfare and communications systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal? To drive down the life-cycle costs of key technologies \u2014 especially during operations and sustainment<\/a> \u2014 by forcing defense firms to face off against each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re working toward the $80 million target<\/a>\u201d for a single F-35A model, said Eric Branyan, Lockheed\u2019s vice president for F-35 supply chain management. \u201cTo do that, one of the most effective means is to conduct competitions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an June 22 interview at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas, Branyan stressed that the company had not made a firm decision on whether to recompete the electronic warfare system currently provided by BAE Systems<\/a> or the Northrop Grumman-made communications, navigation and identification, or CNI, system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Lockheed is exploring its options, having sent out a request for information to a handful of defense contractors who specialize in such technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re evaluating right now the RFI responses and determining if it\u2019s a good time to go do a competition and what would that competition entail,\u201d Branyan said. \u201cSometimes you look at what\u2019s there and it\u2019s not a sea change enough that\u2019s worth the effort to go do the competition. It wouldn\u2019t be enough for a change in cost and performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlso there may be different elements we compete. We may not do the full system, we may do parts of them if there\u2019s something there\u2019s more advantageous to get the technology and cost improvements on. So we\u2019re going through that trade study now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its quest to cut costs on the program, Lockheed has already recompeted several systems, including the aircraft\u2019s memory system and the panoramic cockpit display. Most notably, the company confirmed in June that Raytheon would produce a new version of the distributed aperture system, or DAS, which would save $3 billion over the cost of the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\t