Smith strike it rich

Smiths Interconnect, the Smiths Group subsidiary, is to supply up to $500m of cable assemblies for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).

Delivery of the first Times Microwave Broadband Airborne Cable Assemblies, which are designed to handle high-speed data in extreme avionics environments, is planned for early 2004.

Chosen by Lockheed Martin, the contract is one of a number of collaborations between the two companies on the F-35 JSF, production of which is scheduled to commence in 2006, continuing to 2026.