F-35 Lightning II News

November 9, 2006 (by Lieven Dewitte) - Danish defense company Terma and Lockheed Martin have entered into a contract worth USD 6.5 million for the design, development, integration, testing, and production of seven test pods for the F-35 Lightning II.
The DART pod will be used for Data Acquisition, Recording, and Telemetry during flight testing of all F-35 variants. In addition to the test pods, Terma will manufacture equipment and nose-boom installations for the test program.

Terma is contracted to supply Lockheed Martin with the seven pods under the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase of the JSF program. The pods will contain equipment to be utilized during test flights. The DART pods will be placed in the internal weapon storage area inside the aircraft.

The contract represents a considerable future potential for Terma as a need for up to 20 additional units is expected within the following Low Rate Initial Production phase (LRIP).

A memorandum of understanding between Terma and Lockheed Martin was already signed on Monday, 19 July 2004, during the Farnborough International Air Show.

Terma is a proven developer of reconnaissance pods and aeronautic structures for high-performance military aircraft. Terma has demonstrated its technical capability, reputation for quality, and manufacturing proficiency for many aircraft programs, including the F-16 Fighting Falcon