Center fuselages for all three variants of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft are assembled at Northrop Grumman’s Integrated Assembly Line in Palmdale, CA.
(Photo
Credit: Northrop Grumman)
PALMDALE, Calif. – Jan. 12, 2026 – Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) has reached a significant milestone in factory automation and advanced manufacturing technologies by delivering the 1,500th center fuselage for the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter from its Integrated Assembly Line (IAL) in Palmdale, California, with speed and precision.
- Using advanced manufacturing technologies, the IAL delivers one center fuselage every 30 hours and seamlessly produces center fuselages for all three F-35 variants on a single production line.
- The use of augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) tools on the IAL led to a 35 percent reduction in center fuselage assembly time and a 20 percent reduction in technician learning curve.
Details on Northrop Grumman’s F-35 Role:
- Northrop Grumman is a principal partner and teammate on the F-35 Lightning II industry team, which is developing, producing and sustaining three variants of this stealthy, supersonic, multirole fighter aircraft.
- Northrop Grumman also produces the F-35’s AN/APG-81 AESA radar, along with distinct microchips needed by the sensor to support the integrated communication, navigation, identification (CNI) system and wing skins, leading the industry team in low observable technologies.
- The company also provides sustainment support for the F-35 fleet to U.S. and international customers.
Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with the capabilities they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers’ toughest problems, our employees define possible every day.
