Production of the highest-tech assemblies yet to be supplied for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) by Australian industry will begin shortly at a new Rockwell Collins facility in Sydney.
Formally opened on 20 February, the facility will produce at least 40 per cent of the optical assemblies required for the Distributed Aperture Systems (DAS) that will be embedded in thousands of yet-to-be produced JSFs globally.
The DAS comprises six electro-optical sensors which provide a spherical display in the pilot’s helmet visor showing the position of accompanying aircraft, targeting for air-to-air missiles, incoming aircraft and missile threats, and the location of ground targets.
The positioning of the sensors in the airframe means that by turning his head, the pilot has the ability to look around and through his aircraft’s fuselage and wings.
All DAS optical assemblies are currently produced by a Rockwell Collins plant at Carlsbad, near San Diego, under contract to Northrop Grumman.
Under a long-term Northrop Grumman contract won late last year against other Rockwell Collins units and external companies, the Sydney facility will in due course produce 40 per cent - about 430 assemblies per year - of the DAS optical assemblies required during full-scale JSF manufacture.
Given the significant decline in the value of the Australian dollar since the contract was inked, this percentage could conceivably increase thanks to the increased competiveness of the Australian product.
Assembly of components delivered from the US takes place in a purpose-built clean room modelled on a US counterpart, and involves minutely-accurate work by highly skilled personnel. Qualification assemblies are currently being produced by two staff, but Principal Business Development Manager Des Baxter says staffing will be increased to eight as soon as personnel with the right level of qualifications can be sourced.
At the Avalon air show, Philip Jasper executive vice president and chief operating officer government systems, was keen to highlight the cross over between the civil and military sides of the global business. Areas for cross over include avionics, simulation and training technologies and command and control technologies.
“In the Australian market, about 60 per cent of their work is in the civil market and 40 per cent in Defence,” Jim Walker vice president and managing director Asia Pacific for Rockwell Collins explained to ADM. “The sheer scale of the commercial aviation market dictates this more than anything.”
This article first appeared in Australian Defence Magazine VOL.23 No.4, April 2015