23 August 2019: BAE Systems has received a Block 4 modernisation contract from Lockheed Martin to develop the offensive and defensive electronic warfare (EW) capabilities of the F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
According to the contract, BAE Systems will modernise its AN/ASQ-239 Electronic Warfare/Countermeasures (EW/CM) system to address emerging threats and maintain US and allied warfighters' ability to safely conduct missions in contested airspace.
The Block 4 programme is a multi-year, multi-contract design and development effort that will add eleven new capabilities to the EW system. These improvements will be done as part of the new F-35 agile contracting and development paradigm called Continuous Capability Development and Delivery (C2D2). The C2D2 construct is one in which capabilities are constantly being developed and fielded in 6-12 month intervals, offering warfighters with incremental enhancements to keep pace with evolving threats.