Chamber President “Flies” the F-35

It’s not every day that you have a chance to be a part of history. 

On Thursday, May 2, at the National Electronics Museum in Linthicum, Northrop Grumman Corporation gave elected officials and members of the press, along with others, a chance to experience the Distributed Aperture System (DAS) for the F-35 aircraft, a unique multi-sensor avionics system that enables the pilot to see above, below, forward and behind the aircraft, with all “friends” and “foes” identified and accounted for. 

Retired Air Force Colonel Danny Conroy, with over 3,000 flight hours’ experience, briefed the audience and stated that the average age of all aircraft in the armed services is 24 years.  He asked the audience to consider how old their car was—or when they purchased their last computer.  Technological advances must be provided to our fighting forces to make certain the mission is accomplished and the aviators are brought home safely.

In 2018 when the full production rate of 200 planes per year is achieved, the cost per aircraft will be about $85 million.  About 1400 suppliers across the U.S. are supporting the effort, located in 46 states.  In Maryland, there are 48 suppliers with 1,000 direct jobs involved in the program, totaling over $400 million in economic impact.

Congresswoman Donna Edwards, who spoke at the event, said she had been accepted to the Air Force Academy, but elected not to go when she learned women could not be fighter pilots.  She emphasized that “pilots today deserve the best—not what is nearly 30 years old.”   Maryland House of Delegates Majority Leader Kumar Barve also attended the briefing.

Listening to the pilots at the briefing talk about their experience with the DAS system on the F-35 while pulling 9 “Gs” (nine times the force of gravity) made me realize how critical the F-35 is to our national interests—and the protection of our military forces.  Putting on the DAS helmet  allowed me to experience just a part of the stealth aircraft’s capabilities.

It’s as close as I want to come to “flying” an F-35.

Congresswoman Donna Edwards speaks at the F-35 briefing, hosted by Northrop Grumman

Maryland House of Delegates Majority Leader Kumar Barve experiences the images provided by the Distributed Aperture System (DAS) for the F-35.