Collins Aerospace [UTX] is looking to leverage its years of experience building military actuation systems to gain a foothold in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) programs, the Army Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program and Air Force and Navy efforts to build a fighter aircraft to succeed the Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35.
“Our breadth of electrically and hydraulically powered utility experience includes actuators for weapons bay doors, rotary launchers, refuel probes, air brakes, wing rotation systems, blade fold, specialty locks, air inlet doors and wing fold systems,” said Lewis Poole, the actuation business development manager for Collins Aerospace. “We provide the F-35 Weapons Bay Door and full utility door package; V-22 Osprey Wing Rotate Actuation; and B-2 Weapons Bay Door. Customers designing aircraft for UAS, 6th Generation Fighters or FVL aircraft can turn to Collins knowing they will be delivered solutions that enable them to meet the demanding mission profiles of next generation aircraft.”
Collins Aerospace builds the F-35 weapons bay door drive system at the company’s plant in Wolverhampton, U.K.–the only location equipped to service the system. The latter has 60 components and is designed to open and close the weapons bay door within seconds to allow the aircraft to retain its stealth.
Collins Aerospace said that it provides a range of utility actuation parts for all three F-35 variants.
“Looking to the future, Collins Aerospace is focused on providing system value through more electric technologies, integrated components and health parameter monitoring,” the company said.