JSF Assembly Line in Italy

Lockheed Martin and Alenia Aeronautica have confirmed the rough schedule of events that will lead up to an Italian final assembly line turning out Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) by 2014.Construction of a final-assembly and check-out (FACO) line at northern Italy’s Cameri air base might start in 2010 and last two years, said Tom Burbage, Lockheed Martin’s executive vice president for the JSF program.With the final assembly process to last up to a year, the first finished aircraft could begin rolling out in 2014, Burbage said.The line is to be run by Finmeccanica unit Alenia and under contract to Lockheed Martin. The FACO has been keenly sought by Italy, which hopes to check out and maintain Italian JSFs as well as those of European customers of the aircraft. The Netherlands has also signed to use the FACO.Burbage said “very little, if any” work would be kept for Lockheed Martin staff only for security reasons.As a supplier company to the JSF, Alenia will also start supplying second-source wing components by 2009, said Alenia Chief Executive Officer Giovanni Bertolone. Wing components supplied by Alenia to 2010 would reach between $50 million and $100 million, he added.