GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., 19 Dec. 2006. Smiths Aerospace, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, has provided aerospace systems for Lockheed Martin's successful first flight of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.

Smiths Aerospace provides systems to the aircraft including the electrical power management system, distributed computing and data management, actuation systems, and components in the propulsion system.

The first F-35 aircraft successfully completed its maiden flight from Ft. Worth, Texas. Lockheed Martin test pilot Jon Beesley conducted the flight, which lasted approximately 35 minutes.

Smiths Aerospace provides the following systems (depending on the variant) on the F-35 JSF valued between $6 billion and $7 billion over the lifetime of the aircraft:

Electrical power management system, remote input/output data concentrator units, standby flight display system (Cheltenham UK)

Weapons control and data management (Michigan, Maryland and Florida)

Engine and debris monitoring system and airframe strain and stress models (Southampton UK)

LiftFan hose and tube system (New Hampshire and Massachusetts)

Actuation systems and components included in the propulsion system and airframe (California, New Jersey, Indiana, Washington, Connecticut and Wolverhampton UK)

Canopy frame (Hamble UK)

In addition, Smiths Interconnect, another part of the global technology business Smiths Group, was selected to provide broadband cable assemblies with a total contract value of $500 million over the life of the program.

The F-35 is a supersonic, multi-role stealth fighter designed to replace a number of aging fighter and strike aircraft. The F-35 and the Lockheed Martin F-22 are the world's only fifth-generation fighters.