Essex Industries and Lockheed Martin have reached agreement on the next round of HOTAS (Hands-on Throttle and Stick) grip deliveries for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. Production will extend through December 2022, with quantities expected to exceed 570 shipsets.
The F-35 is a 5th Generation fighter, combining aircraft characteristics of advanced stealth, integrated avionics, sensor fusion and superior logistics support with the most powerful and comprehensive integrated sensor package of any fighter aircraft in history. Variants of the F-35 will replace fighters for the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and ten other countries around the world.
In addition to supplying the HOTAS grips, Essex also provides a series of valves for the F-35 fuel system.