Alcoa Wins Titanium Contract with Lockheed Martin for F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
October 07 2015 - 9:29AM
Business Wire
Alcoa to Supply Titanium for All F-35 Variants
Under Nine-Year Deal
- Contract draws on new titanium
capabilities gained through RTI acquisition
- Builds on broad portfolio of
multi-material products Alcoa already supplies to the F-35 program,
from engine to aircraft body
- Alcoa well positioned to support
Lockheed Martin’s full-rate production goal of 13 aircraft a month
by the mid-2020s, up from an average of three aircraft per month in
2014
- Contract has an estimated value of
approximately $1.1 billion at current projected build rates
Lightweight metals leader Alcoa (NYSE: AA) today announced a
contract to supply titanium for Lockheed Martin’s (NYSE: LMT) F-35
Lightning II aircraft program, also known as the Joint Strike
Fighter (JSF). Under the contract, Alcoa becomes the titanium
supplier for airframe structures for all three variants of the F-35
over nine years, from 2016 to 2024. At current projected build
rates, the contract has an estimated value of approximately $1.1
billion.
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Alcoa will supply titanium plate and billet from several
operations gained through the RTI International Metals
acquisition.
“Through our expansion in titanium, Alcoa is sharpening its
leadership edge on state-of-the-art aircraft, including the most
advanced fighter jet in the world—the F-35,” said Alcoa Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer Klaus Kleinfeld. “We are expanding
Alcoa’s range of multi-material offerings for this program while
helping Lockheed Martin meet aggressive weight, range and fuel
efficiency targets.”
The titanium will be used to manufacture airframe structures for
all three F-35 JSF variants: The F-35A Conventional Takeoff and
Landing (CTOL) aircraft, the F-35B Short Takeoff/Vertical Landing
(STOVL) aircraft and the F-35C Carrier Variant (CV). Under a
different existing contract, Alcoa will use the metal to forge all
of the largest titanium bulkheads—the “backbone” of the aircraft
structure—for the CTOL variant at its Cleveland, Ohio operations.
Approximately 75 percent of all F-35s produced are CTOLs.
“This contract with Alcoa is a key element in securing our
supply chain with a strong U.S. partner for a critical, strategic
raw material," said Dan Pleshko, vice president of Lockheed Martin
Aeronautics’ Enterprise Supply Chain Management.
In addition to the forged titanium bulkheads, Alcoa already
supplies several key, multi-material components for the F-35,
including:
- Multiple structural aircraft body
components including the largest forged aluminum bulkheads, which
Alcoa manufactures in one piece—as opposed to multi-piece
assemblies—saving 300-400 pounds per jet, helping Lockheed Martin
meet aggressive weight, range and fuel efficiency targets and
reduce machining and assembly time;
- Advanced aluminum die forgings for the
critical wheel and braking systems;
- Fasteners and installation tooling that
hold the aircraft together, which can be easily installed in the
most hard-to-reach areas—important given the complex design and
performance requirements of the aircraft;
- Machined aluminum and titanium “vane
box” assemblies that direct air flow, enabling the vertical landing
capabilities of the STOVL; and
- Several high-performance components for
the F-135 engine, including seamless rolled rings that encase the
engine parts, titanium forged disks, and advanced single-crystal,
nickel superalloy blades and vanes that enable the engine to
operate at temperatures hotter than the melting point of the
superalloys, increasing fuel efficiency.
The F-35 Lightning II is an advanced fighter aircraft combining
stealth, speed and agility, designed for many kinds of
missions. Lockheed Martin’s full-rate production goal is 13
aircraft a month by the mid-2020s, up from an average of three
aircraft delivered per month in 2014.
Alcoa has been growing its multi-material aerospace business to
capture growth in the global aerospace market in support of its
broader transformation. Alcoa recently acquired global titanium
leader RTI International Metals, aerospace components manufacturer
TITAL and global jet engine parts leader Firth Rixson. Alcoa also
has grown organically. It opened the world’s largest
aluminum-lithium facility in Lafayette, Indiana, launched
expansions to increase jet engine parts production
in La Porte,
Indiana and Hampton, Virginia, began installation of
advanced aerospace plate manufacturing capabilities
in Davenport, Iowa, announced plans to double its coatings
capabilities for jet engine components in Whitehall, Michigan and
announced an investment in technology that strengthens the metallic
structures of traditional and additive manufactured parts, also in
Whitehall, Michigan.
About Alcoa
A global leader in lightweight metals technology, engineering
and manufacturing, Alcoa innovates multi-material solutions that
advance our world. Our technologies enhance transportation, from
automotive and commercial transport to air and space travel, and
improve industrial and consumer electronics products. We enable
smart buildings, sustainable food and beverage packaging,
high-performance defense vehicles across air, land and sea, deeper
oil and gas drilling and more efficient power generation. We
pioneered the aluminum industry over 125 years ago, and today, our
more than 60,000 people in 30 countries deliver value-add products
made of titanium, nickel and aluminum, and produce
best-in-class bauxite, alumina and primary aluminum products. For
more information, visit www.alcoa.com, follow @Alcoa on
Twitter at www.twitter.com/Alcoa and follow us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/Alcoa.
In addition to the F-35, Alcoa has been a partner and supplier
to the military for decades, enabling high-performance defense
vehicles across air, land and sea. For more information on Alcoa
Defense please visit www.alcoa.com/defense.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global
security and aerospace company that employs approximately 112,000
people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research,
design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of
advanced technology systems, products and services. The
Corporation’s net sales for 2014 were $45.6 billion.
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AlcoaInvestor ContactNahla Azmy,
212-836-2674Nahla.Azmy@alcoa.comorMedia ContactMonica Orbe,
212-836-2632Monica.Orbe@alcoa.com
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