Story ID: 5BCFA-XX09092014
Navy's FA-XX Discussion Includes Modifying F-35C
By: Bill Carey
Caption: Modifying the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter is part of what the U.S. Navy wants to discuss with contractors in a series of “technical interchange meetings."
Word Count: 204
Modifying the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter is part of what the U.S. Navy wants to discuss with contractors in a series of “technical interchange meetings” before it develops an analysis of alternatives (AoA) for a future carrier-based strike fighter.

In a September 9 solicitation, the Naval Air Systems Command (Navair) invited companies to participate in the meetings “for the purposes of trade space refinement” before it begins the AoA process next year. Navair said the solicitation is an addendum to the request for information (RFI) it issued in April 2012 for the FA-XX requirement to replace the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and its EA-18G Growler derivative in the 2030 timeframe. The RFI described the future fighter as “complementary” to the F-35C carrier variant, which the Navy plans to declare operational in 2018, and an unmanned platform as envisioned by the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UClass) effort.

The RFI addendum states that technical meetings will focus on several areas, one of which is “modification of current platforms (F/A-18 and F-35C).” Among other areas of discussion will be a new start aircraft, recommended mission systems and future avionics technologies, and legacy versus new-start weapons.