Lockheed Martin develops new compartment layout for F-35A and F-35C - fighters will be able to carry more AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles

US company Lockheed Martin has confirmed that it is working on a new weapons compartment layout for the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter. It is called the Sidekick.

Here's What We Know

Information that Lockheed Martin would develop the Sidekick emerged late last decade. The new layout will accommodate six AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) instead of four.

The upgrade will get an F-35C deck fighter of the Navy and a standard F-35A of the US Air Force. At that, the F-35B with vertical takeoff and landing will not be reworked for the new version. This is due to the fact that they have an additional engine to implement the corresponding capabilities.

It is unclear whether the new layout of the weapons compartment is related to the Block 4 upgrade. The publication The War Zone wanted to clarify this question. However, the American company only stated that the development of the Sidekick is under contract and on schedule. Lockheed Martin referred journalists to the F-35 Joint Program Office, but representatives have not responded to the request (yet).

It is worth noting that the development of the Sidekick was listed as a priority for provision for fiscal 2021 (FY). The document says the service is proposing to use the new layout for the F-35C, starting with Lot 15. Deliveries are scheduled for the second half of this year. This hints that the Sidekick could be available well before the Block 4 upgrade (starting with Lot 17). But two years have passed since 2021FY, and it is unclear whether the US Navy's plans have changed in that time.

On the other hand, a senior Canadian defence ministry official has confirmed that the latest aircraft (Lot 18) of the F-35A Block 4 will be able to carry six AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles. The announcement came in January this year, Canada inked a deal to acquire 88 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets. The contract is worth more than $14 billion.

Source: The War Zone