Page 6 - Aerotech News and Review 9-18-15

Northrop increases production rate for F-35

PALMDALE, Calif.—Northrop Grumman is again in- WZHHQVWDUWVRUFRPSOHWLRQVRIFHQWHUIXVHODJH
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creasing the rate at which it produces center fuselages for
WKH)/LJKWQLQJ,,SURJUDP Line is part of a coordinated, pre-planned effort by Northrop

2Q$XJWKHFRPSDQ\EHJDQSURGXFLQJWKHFHQWHUIX- Grumman and its suppliers to help meet rising F-35 produc-
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. L Q J G R P Z L W K D V K R U W H U S U R G X F W L R Q L Q W H U Y D O W K D W Z L O O V K D Y H F-35 program manager, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Sys-
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almost a month and a half off the time needed to produce the ILFLHQF\RIWKHSURGXFWLRQOLQHDQGWKHVL]HDQGVNLOOVRIRXU
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been in effect since last August, will enable Northrop Grum- One of the company’s final activities under the four-day

PDQWRSURGXFHDFHQWHUIXVHODJHLQMXVWRYHUPRQWKVFRP- PI, he noted, was the completion of the 200th center fuselage,
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production interval is the average number of work days be- KDUGZDUHZDVGHOLYHUHG-XO\
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has dropped steadily from an initial

level of approximately eight days when Northrop Grumman photographs
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the Integrated Assembly Line in Palmdale, Calif., voted Assembly
rate production plan, it would drop to 3ODQWRIWKH<HDULQE\$VVHPEO\0DJD]LQH
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$ F F R U G L Q J W R ' D Y L G 7U D F \ G L U H F W R U , $ / Z K L F K Z D V Q D P H G D V V H P E O \ O L Q H R I W K H \ H D U L Q
of Northrop Grumman’s F-35 center E \ $ V V H P E O \ P D J D ] L Q H P D N H V K H D Y \ X V H R I U R E R W L F V D Q G
fuselage integrated product team, it D X W R P D W L R Q , W D O O R Z V W K H F R P S D Q \ W R S U R G X F H ) F H Q W H U
will take approximately nine months

for the new PI to be fully implemented fuselages with levels of engineering precision, quality and

RQWKH,$/ manufacturing efficiency not achievable using conventional

“We’ll change to a three-day PI sta- PDQXDOSURGXFWLRQPHWKRGV
WLRQE\VWDWLRQDV%.PRYHVGRZQ As a principal member of the Lockheed Martin-led F-35
WKHOLQH´KHH[SODLQV³,QSDUDOOHORXU industry team, Northrop Grumman performs a significant
customers will be preparing to begin share of the work required to develop and produce all three
receiving our center fuselages on a
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LVFRPSOHWHWKH,$/ZLOOEHIXOO\ lage, the company designed and produces the aircraft’s radar
FRQYHUWHG WR D WKUHHGD\ 3,$W WKDW and other key electro-optical and communications subsys-
tems; develops mission systems and mission-planning soft-
1RUWKURS *UXPPDQ TXDOLW\ WHDP SHUIRUPV ¿QDO LQVSHFWLRQ RI$) WKH WK ) point, we’ll start delivering center fu- ware; leads the team’s development of pilot and maintenance
selages at the rate of one every three training system courseware; and manages the team’s use,
center fuselage produced by the company at its Palmdale Aircraft Integration Center ZRUNGD\V´
of Excellence.
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In a much-anticipated ceremony SO\FKDLQ´
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JXUDWHGRSHUDWLRQVDWLWV¿UVWHYHU86 Airbus announced plans for the
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for business, with a skilled team of
made Airbus commercial aircraft —
more than 250 Airbus manufacturing DQ$²LVVFKHGXOHGIRUGHOLYHU\
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employees now at work on the first
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“Our commercial aircraft produc-
forecast indicates a demand over the
tion in Mobile signifies two things:
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global aircraft manufacturer, and that
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Airbus is now also a truly American
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manufacturer,” said Airbus President
DQG&(2)DEULFH%UpJLHU³:LWKWKH Airbus workforce in Mobile were
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we have strategically expanded our -HII6HVVLRQV5$OD&RQJUHVVPDQ
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³7KH $LUEXV86PDQXIDFWXULQJ other dignitaries, airline and aerospace
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facility is an important step forward
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in Airbus’ strategy, strengthening our
event convened under the theme,
position as a leader and competitor in ³/HW¶V*HWWR:RUN²7RJHWKHU´DQG
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JLHUFRQWLQXHG³,WHQDEOHVXVWRJURZ culminated in the ceremonial place-

our already significant presence in ment of a placard on a component of LQJLWULJKWKHUHLQ0RELOH$ODEDPD´ DLUFUDIWVSDUHVIDFLOLWLHVLQ$WODQWD*D 7KH HVWDEOLVKPHQW RI WKH $LUEXV
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America — the largest single-aisle air- ELOH7KHSODFDUGUHDGV³7KLVDLUFUDIW
SURXGO\ PDGH LQ WKH 86$ E\ WKH FLOLW\MRLQVVHYHUDORWKHU$LUEXVDQG headquarters of Airbus, Airbus De- the number of manufacturers of large
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FORVHUWRRXU86FXVWRPHUVDQGNH\ Airbus Group operations across the fence & Space, and Airbus Group are 6WDWHVFUHDWLQJMREVH[SDQGLQJVNLOOV
VXSSOLHUSDUWQHUV$WWKHVDPHWLPH “I can speak for all Airbus employ- 8QLWHG6WDWHVLQFOXGLQJIRUH[DPSOH ORFDWHGLQ+HUQGRQ9DZKLOH$LUEXV¶
and establishing a new aerospace cen-
the expanded industrial capacity gives ees here in Mobile when I say that we Airbus engineering offices in Mo- Latin America headquarters is located WUH RI FRPSHWHQFH RQ WKH 86 *XOI
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are so proud to be a part of this global WUDLQLQJFHQWHULQ0LDPL)OD$LUEXV DUH PDMRU FXVWRPHUV RI RWKHU 86
tion across Airbus to meet global de- manufacturing site, Airbus assembles
PDQG7KH86IDFLOLW\LVJRRGQHZV Airbus team,” said Ryane Dedeaux, an Defence & Space Military Aircraft aerospace companies as well, having
HPSOR\HHDWWKH$LUEXV86PDQXIDF- SXUFKDVHGELOOLRQRIFRPSRQHQWV commercial aircraft at modern facili-
for the overall Airbus enterprise, as WXULQJIDFLOLW\³:HFDQQRWZDLWWRJHW facility in Mobile; Airbus Helicopters WLHVLQ+DPEXUJ*HUPDQ\7LDQMLQ
WRZRUN,W¶VWLPHWREHJLQEXLOGLQJWKH and materials from American suppliers &KLQDDQG7RXORXVH)UDQFH
this greater production capacity cre- factories and operations in Columbus, ODVW\HDUDORQH
best aircraft in the world and begin do- 0LVVDQG*UDQG3UDLULH7H[DVDQG September 18, 2015
ates global growth opportunities across
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