Rockwell Collins will source optical assemblies for the Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System (DAS) on the Lockheed Martin F-35 ste...
Rockwell Collins has entered into a long-term agreement with the DAS prime contractor, Northrop Grumman to expand manufacturing of the optical assemblies.
Rockwell Collins is already manufacturing these, at its’s facility in Carlsbad, California. Rockwell aims to source 40 percent of these from Australia.
The DAS is a multifunction infrared system that provides passive, spherical battlespace awareness for F-35 pilots by simultaneously detecting and tracking aircraft and missiles in every direction, as well as providing visual imagery for day/night navigation and targeting purposes.
DAS imagery projected onto the pilot's helmet-mounted display provides the capability to look at targets and terrain through the floor and wings of the aircraft.
The DAS works in conjunction with the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-81 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and other onboard systems to give pilots an unprecedented situational awareness.
