AMI Metals to provide aluminium flat rolled material for F-35

Tennessee-based AMI Metals, a subsidiary of Reliance Steel & Aluminum, has secured a contract worth around $300m from Lockheed Martin to provide aluminium flat rolled material for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The multi-year deal covers the value-added, just-in-time, cut-to-size and cut-to-shape processing of aluminium plate to meet all F-35 aluminium flat rolled requirements.

AMI Metals president Scott A. Smith said: "We are proud of our long-term relationship with Lockheed Martin and of our ability to assist them going forward with the aluminium products and services needed for the manufacture of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter military aircraft.

"AMI Metals and Lockheed Martin have worked together for the past 30 years on numerous programs that have resulted in on-time delivery of high quality products."

The material will be used by multiple Lockheed Martin, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Teammates and subcontractor facilities, the company stated. Available in three variants, F-35 aircraft are designed to conduct an array of ground attack, reconnaissance and air defence missions with stealth capability.

Reliance president and CEO Gregg Mollins said: "We are very excited and proud that AMI Metals' experience and expertise in value-added aluminium supply will strategically support the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme."

The Lockheed Martin JSF team includes Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Pratt and Whitney and Rolls-Royce. Recently, BAE Systems awarded a series of orders to Cobham for the delivery of microelectronic products for the F-35 Lightning II platform.

Under these $51m orders, Cobham will be responsible for providing microelectronic components and integrated microelectronic assemblies for radar and electronic warfare (EW).