Lockheed Martin Wins $115 Million F-35 Navigation Systems Redesign Order

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics has received a $114.6 million order from Naval Air Systems Command to redesign two navigation systems for the F-35 Lightning II. The company will replace obsolete electronic components in the Global Positioning System Electronic Unit and the NAV100 Inertial Navigation System while preserving their performance and compatibility with existing aircraft systems. The work is intended to reduce the risk of production disruptions and support continued F-35 production and sustainment for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and cooperative program partners. Performance is expected to run through January 2030.

F-35 Navigation Systems Redesign Details

Lockheed Martin will perform nonrecurring engineering to redesign the two navigation units in response to diminishing manufacturing sources. The order calls for integration, qualification and testing of the redesigned systems, with the aim of replacing components that are becoming obsolete without changing how the units perform in the aircraft.

Most of the work will take place in El Segundo, California, which accounts for 70.1% of the effort. Fort Worth, Texas, accounts for 27.5%, and Clearwater, Florida, for the remaining 2.4%. The order covers engineering and verification of the two named systems rather than a broader F-35 navigation upgrade.

F-35 Program Background

The redesign addresses a defined supply-continuity risk within a large production and sustainment program. A September 2025 Government Accountability Office report said the United States planned to acquire 2,470 F-35s and that more than 1,100 aircraft had been delivered. GAO also documented program-wide delivery delays and parts shortages. The order’s stated purpose is to prevent obsolete components in the two navigation units from disrupting future production; the public award notice does not link those units to the shortages GAO identified.

Award and Contractor Background

The order was not competitively procured. It was issued under a Lockheed Martin F-35 basic ordering agreement that began in March 2024 and covers work ranging from aircraft spares to engineering, component redesign and modernization. That agreement also supports a $1.62 billion order for initial spares for F-35 production aircraft.

Separately, a 2024 Defense Department award notice described a $14.6 million modification to procure parts affected by diminishing manufacturing sources for F-35 operation and maintenance, with completion expected in November 2027. That procurement illustrates another way the program has addressed component availability; the new navigation order instead funds redesign and qualification work.

This award was disclosed by the DoW in its daily press release. Additional contract details will be available on HigherGov in approximately 90 days under N0001927F1037 after the contract is formally disclosed by the government.