Angeline Leishman
General Dynamics‘ mission systems business has completed the delivery of the 500th radome for fifth-generation aircraft radar antenna protection to F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin.
The two companies originally developed wideband nose radomes in a joint effort to protect active electronically scanned array radars on domestic and foreign military F-35 jets, General Dynamics Mission Systems said Wednesday.
Carlo Zaffanella, vice president and general manager of GDMS, said the company’s delivery milestone reflects design, production and testing work at its facility in Marion, Virginia, over the past 75 years.
Each radome is designed to cover an F-35 AESA radar system to reduce the level of radio frequency interference and the chance of aircraft getting detected by adversarial tracking systems.
GDMS added that the wideband system supports the operating frequency necessary for fighter pilots to detect, track and map targets.
To date, more than 1,700 radomes have been produced by General Dynamics to help military customers protect aircraft AESA radars.
