Lockheed Martin continues integrating 360-degree spherical electro-optical avionics sensor on F-35 combat jet

PATUXENT RIVER NAS, Md. – Combat aircraft avionics experts at Lockheed Martin Corp. will continue integrating a 360-degree electro-optical sensor system on the U.S. F-35 joint strike fighter under terms of a $98.9 million order announced last week.

Officials of the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., are asking the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics segment in Fort Worth, Texas, to integrate the Next-Generation Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System (DAS) into all variants of the F-35 aircraft for the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and allied air forces.

The electro-optical DAS collects real-time, high-resolution imagery from six IR cameras mounted around the aircraft and sends it to the pilot’s helmet-mounted display, providing a 360-degree spherical view of the environment.

The next-generation electro-optical DAS is from the Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems segment in McKinney, Texas. The system's original manufacturer was Northrop Grumman Corp., but the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin switched suppliers of the system to Raytheon in mid-2018.

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The Raytheon-built DAS sensor system will be integrated into F-35 aircraft starting with Lot 15 aircraft, expected to begin deliveries in 2023.

Compared to the Northrop Grumman DAS, Raytheon officials say they can offer more than $3 billion in life cycle cost savings, including about a 45 percent reduction in unit recurring costs; more than 50 percent reduction in operations and sustainment costs; five times more reliability, and twice the performance.

The electro-optical DAS collects real-time, high-resolution imagery from infrared cameras mounted around the aircraft and sends it to the pilot’s helmet-mounted display, providing a 360-degree spherical view of the environment.

Related: EO/IR sensors boost situational awareness

The system is designed to warn the pilot of incoming enemy aircraft and missiles, daylight and nighttime vision; fire control; and precision tracking of nearby aircraft for tactical maneuvering.

By projecting the DAS video stream into a helmet-mounted display, the F-35’s pilot can see through the aircraft structure to view the surrounding environment.

For more information contact Lockheed Martin Aeronautics online at www.lockheedmartin.com, Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems at www.raytheon.com, or Naval Air Systems Command at www.navair.navy.mil.