Case study
An Ammo Loader for the F-35, in Half the Time
Client
Application
F-35 Lightning II
When a mission-critical project for the F-35 stalled out after 4 years of development, Hydraulics International took on the challenge, and succeeded in just 2 years.
Overview
Our partners at Northrop Grumman needed an ammunition loader for the 25 mm shells on the next-generation F-35 fighter jet. They first sent the project to another contractor, but after 4 years, that project hadn’t reached a successful conclusion. Then, they reached out to Hydraulics International.
Building on our experience with similar platforms, we were able to deliver a completed project for validation in just 2 years. Now, our loader is standard with every F-35, and we’ve delivered more than 100 production units to date.
the challenge
When the project came to us, it was already significantly behind its intended timeline. After four years of development, the initial contractor assigned to the project was unable to complete the project. This put the entire F-35 program at risk, along with the reputation of our partners at Northrop Grumman.
Our Solution
At Hydraulics International, we’re no stranger to ammunition loaders for fighter jets. Prior to this, we’d already developed loaders for the 20mm shells used in the F16, F22 and other platforms. So, we were able to build on our experience with those loaders to develop one that met the needs of the F-35 and its 25mm shells. As a Los Angeles-based company with local manufacturing facilities, we were also much closer to Northrop Grumman’s engineers. Where they previously had to fly halfway around the world to collaborate with their vendor, we were just a 20 minute drive from their offices.
The Result
In just two years, we delivered a completed loader for testing and verification. It passed, and today every new F-35 fighter jet put in service comes with our ammo loader.
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