Vektrex is the recipient of a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The communications avionics are being developed by the Radio Systems business of Northrop Grumman's Space Technology sector, under contract to Lockheed Martin.
When fully developed, the system will enable over 35 communications, navigation and identification (CNI) functions for the F-35. Vektrex's technology will improve the power interface integrity of the F-35 CNI avionics to reduce risk to the flight-testing phase.
"We are pleased that the technology developed by Vektrex will play an important role in F-35 avionics testing," said Ken Fecteau, F-35 CNI program director, Northrop Grumman Space Technology.
"This is an example of how innovations by small businesses enhance the products that we provide to our customers."
Northrop Grumman's CNI system utilizes software-defined radio technology to simultaneously support numerous capabilities such as various voice and data communications, automatic acquisition of fly-to points and friend-or-foe identification.
The system can also dynamically reconfigure these functions to support priorities defined by missions. Using software-defined radio technology, Northrop Grumman's CNI system is a fraction of the size and weight of the single-function radios previously required to implement the same functions.
This "smart-box" approach allows for increased performance, quicker deployment, higher availability, enhanced scalability and lower lifecycle cost.