AviationNews – Defense contractor BAE Systems has secured a major subcontract from Lockheed Martin to produce modernized Block 4 electronic warfare suites and retrofit existing aircraft across the global F-35 Lightning II fleet. The deal ensures the stealth platform can maintain electromagnetic dominance and suppress sophisticated air defense networks in increasingly contested airspace.
The contract award covers the delivery of advanced AN/ASQ-239 electronic warfare (EW) systems for production Lots 20 through 22, alongside upgrade packages for earlier aircraft already serving with the U.S. armed forces and international partner nations. BAE Systems, which has delivered over 1,500 EW systems for the F-35 program to date, will carry out engineering and manufacturing work at its specialized facilities in Austin, Texas, and Manchester, Merrimack, and Nashua, New Hampshire. This award follows extensive infrastructure investments—including automated manufacturing cells and expanded clean-room capacity—designed to ramp up throughput and maintain supply line stability as the global F-35 fleet continues to grow.
Operating as the digital shield of the fifth-generation stealth fighter, the AN/ASQ-239 system provides integrated 360-degree situational awareness, offensive electronic attack, and automated self-protection. The Block 4 upgrade introduces advanced multispectral sensors, agile digital receivers, and faster signal processing algorithms capable of identifying and neutralizing complex radio-frequency threats before hostile radars can achieve a firing solution. By condensing the physical footprint of the receiver and power architecture, the modernized suite leaves room for rapid software updates that let mission commanders reprogram threat libraries to counter emerging adversary radar tactics in near real time.
Underlining the necessity of high-tempo production and digital modernization, defense officials noted the crucial role the suite plays in modern multi-domain operations. “We are laser-focused on scaling production and delivering software-based capabilities to meet the rapid pace of conflict,” BAE Systems leadership emphasized, pointing to the need for agile electronic warfare capabilities that protect allied pilots against dense surface-to-air missile umbrellas and hostile fifth-generation interceptors.
Looking ahead, the rollout of these Block 4 electronic countermeasure systems across future production lots and retrofit depots provides allied air forces with a unified electromagnetic spectrum capability. Defense planners and coalition procurement offices are now aligning depot maintenance cycles with software-defined drop dates, ensuring that frontline squadrons receive these countermeasure upgrades without disrupting routine deployment schedules.
By securing production through Lot 22 and establishing retrofits for delivered airframes, the contract guarantees that the F-35 remains equipped to defeat modern anti-access/area-denial threats. The ongoing upgrade cycle reinforces the F-35’s role as the premier strike asset for joint and coalition air operations worldwide.
