GKN Aerospace’s Fokker business selected for F-35 landing gear maintenance

GKN Aerospace’s business unit Fokker, has been chosen to maintain and service the landing gear for the F-35 fleet in Europe and the Pacific. The Dutch Ministry of Defence announced the selection on November 7th in a press release. The F-35 Joint Program Office in the USA announced in a press conference that the F-35 landing gear maintenance has been assigned to the Netherlands. It is the first time that maintenance work for the F-35 fleet in Europe and the Pacific has been awarded. The potential value amounts to tens of millions of dollars over the lifetime of the program. The selection covers the maintenance of wheels, brakes and shock strut assemblies of the F-35 landing gear, starting in 2021. GKN Aerospace’s Fokker business unit has many years of landing gear related experience in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of amongst others the F-16 landing gear and the NH90 helicopter landing gear. As well as the maintenance activities, the landing gear business is also involved in the design and manufacture of the F-35 arresting gear and in the development of the F-35 composite landing gear drag brace.