The F-35 is a fifth-generation combat aircraft designed to replace a wide range of aging fighter and strike aircraft for the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, as well as allied nations defense forces worldwide. As NORDAM explained, it was part of a “rigorous request-for-proposal process” which included a site visit and review by Northrop Grumman.
“As this is a new platform for us, we’ll attain key process certifications in the course of performing work on the contract, including qualification by Lockheed Martin to work on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program,” Clawson said. “We are confident those achievements will further enhance NORDAM’s attractiveness when proposing on new work within the same and similar platforms for these two major defense contractors.”
To meet the demands of the contract, NORDAM’s NTR facility will undergo upgrades such as paint shop enhancements, and receive new equipment purchases, including two new, high-tech automated fiber placement machines (AFP) for laying carbon fiber tape, and an additional five-axis cutter. NTR Vice President and General Manager John Clawson expected there will be “approximately 20 months of build-up activity and the addition of about 20 related positions before full production is underway.”
