By Michael Calia
The F-35 Joint Program Office said Thursday it had halted the
development of an alternate pilot helmet and will instead focus on
the helmet system used currently in training.
The program said it would recoup about $45 million in funds it
had allocated for the development of the alternate helmet.
"The government's decision to proceed exclusively with the
principal helmet is indicative of their confidence in the helmet's
performance and the successful resolution of previously identified
technical challenges," said Lorraine Martin, Lockheed Martin Corp.
(LMT) executive vice president and general manager of the F-35
Lightning II Program.
The move comes just weeks after the head of the F-35 program,
Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, pledged to press on with both helmets and
make a final decision in a "fly off."
BAE Systems (BAE.LN, BAESY) started developing the alternate
helmet in September 2011 after officials acknowledged technical
issues in the primary helmet, which is developed by Rockwell
Collins Inc. (COL) and Elbit Systems Ltd. (ESLT, ESLT.TV).
Lockheed Martin, the world's largest defense contractor, has
been dealing with the effects of a partial shutdown of the U.S.
government. On Monday it said it would still furlough 2,400 staff
in the wake of federal facility closures and contract freezes.
Contractors in general have warned that tens of thousands of
staff could be furloughed as the shutdown halts contract awards and
payments, as well as work by civilian Pentagon inspectors on
programs such as Lockheed's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Shares of Lockheed Martin were inactive at $126.68 in
after-hours trading, while Rockwell Collins's stock was down 2.6%
at $66.53.
--Doug Cameron contributed to this article.
Write to Michael Calia at michael.calia@wsj.com
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