- Northrop Grumman delivered its 1,500th F-35 center fuselage from the Palmdale Integrated Assembly Line on Jan. 12.
- The company said AR/VR tools on the line reduced assembly time by 35% and lowered the technician learning curve by 20%.
Northrop Grumman delivered its 1,500th center fuselage for the F-35 Lightning II on Jan. 12, completing the milestone at its Integrated Assembly Line in Palmdale, California.
The delivery reflects the current production pace of one center fuselage every 30 hours.
According to Northrop Grumman, the Palmdale facility uses advanced manufacturing processes to build center fuselages for all three F-35 variants on a single line. The company said its automated systems allow the assembly line to shift between the F-35A, F-35B and F-35C without changes to the overall production workflow. As noted by the company, these processes are designed to maintain repeatability and reduce time spent on each fuselage unit.
Northrop Grumman stated that the use of augmented reality and virtual reality tools on the Integrated Assembly Line has reduced center-fuselage assembly time by 35 percent. The company added that AR/VR systems have lowered the technician learning curve by 20 percent. These tools assist workers by providing digital instructions, visual overlays and real-time guidance during complex assembly tasks.
The center fuselage is one of the core structural sections of the F-35 airframe. It houses internal fuel, mission systems, wiring and structural components that tie the forward and aft fuselage sections together. On the Integrated Assembly Line, Northrop Grumman oversees the complete build of each center fuselage before shipping the units to Lockheed Martin’s Final Assembly and Checkout Facility in Fort Worth, Texas, for aircraft integration.
Northrop Grumman is a principal partner on the F-35 industry team that develops and sustains all three versions of the fighter. The company produces the AN/APG-81 active electronically scanned array radar used on the aircraft, along with the communication, navigation and identification suite. Northrop Grumman also manufactures the wing skins and leads the industry team in low observable technologies applied across the jet.
According to information released by the company, its role extends beyond production. Northrop Grumman provides sustainment services for F-35 operators in the United States and abroad. These services support long-term maintenance needs, operational availability and upgrades across the global fleet.
The F-35 Lightning II is a multirole, supersonic, low-observable aircraft fielded by the United States and partner nations. The aircraft family includes the F-35A for conventional takeoff and landing, the F-35B for short takeoff and vertical landing, and the F-35C for carrier operations. Center fuselages delivered from Palmdale feed into these variants as part of ongoing U.S. and international production requirements.
Northrop Grumman described the milestone as part of its broader mission to advance manufacturing capabilities and support global defense needs. The company stated that its workforce remains focused on applying modern production methods to meet program demands. The announcement follows continued F-35 deliveries to U.S. units and allied air forces.
Northrop Grumman said its employees “define possible every day,” highlighting the role of the Palmdale production facility in meeting customer requirements for the F-35 program. The company noted that advanced manufacturing remains central to its efforts to support U.S. and allied airpower.