ATK signs components contract

Aerospace and defence supplier Alliant Techsystems has received a contract in excess of $240m from Lockheed Martin to produce composite components for low-rate initial-production (LRIP) lots of the F-35 Lightning II or Joint Strike Fighter.

Under the terms of the contract, ATK will provide upper wing-box skins, lower wing-box skins and engine nacelle skins for the conventional take-off and landing (CTOL), and short take-off/vertical landing (STOVL) variants of the F-35.

Production will take place at ATK’s Clearfield, Utah, facility beginning in 2010 and continuing through 2015.

Separately, the company announced that it has also received a $10m contract from Northrop Grumman to manufacture composite inlet ducts for the F-35.

Northrop Grumman is the primary producer of the inlet ducts and has contracted ATK as a second source supplier for inlet duct production. ATK will begin manufacturing inlet ducts during the low-rate initial-production phase of the programme, with deliveries occurring through mid-2011.

The follow-on, full-scale production phase of the contract is potentially worth an additional $40m. Production of the inlet ducts will take place at ATK’s facility in Rocket Center, West Virginia.