The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation stealth fighter is one of the most advanced aircraft ever built. Designed to serve in various roles, including air superiority, strike missions, electronic warfare, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), the F-35 employs radar-absorbent materials, aligned edge shaping, and internal weapon bays to maintain a tiny radar cross-section, and its sensor fusion can combine data from the AESA radar, Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System (DAS), and Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) into a single display for the pilot.
Such advances don’t come cheap, nor do they come quickly.
Each F-35 takes about 18 months or one-and-a-half years to build, and that is on a nearly continuous 24-hour-a-day manufacturing schedule. Yet efforts have been made to reduce production time. Today, a single F-35A requires approximately 40,000 to 43,000 hours of direct human and robotic labor, a significant drop from the 160,000 hours required for the very first model in 2006.
This month, subcontractor Northrop Grumman announced it is “supercharging” production through “AI-powered automation.” The firm has integrated advanced automation and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that speed production and boost aircraft performance. The innovations allow the company to build the fifth-generation stealth fighter faster and smarter, directly supporting critical Department of War efforts and delivering a more capable platform for the warfighter and America’s allies.
Co-Bot AI Empowers Production of the F-35
Northrop Grumman explained that its production teams are now incorporating new AI-driven automated production and quality control systems.
“One of the latest improvements is the introduction of a new tooling system known as a ‘co-bot,’ or collaborative robot, which works in tandem with technicians on the production line,” the aerospace firm explained.
The innovations have sped up factory-floor operations, cutting assembly tasks from hours to minutes as robots take on the work.
“We recently installed a co-bot that assists technicians to precisely install bolts to attach the front housing area of the Communications, Navigation and Identification (CNI) module,” explained Lavell Catlin, manufacturing manager for the CNI production line. “This system cuts what used to take hours to complete down to only a few minutes. Additionally, we’ve been able to shift a couple of our employees onto different key efforts, which improve the speed and performance of our overall production process.”
AI-driven quality control systems can analyze completed modules in fine detail and flag potential issues. AI-based inspections can detect potential defects in modules before they leave the factory floor, ensuring Northrop Grumman can deliver a reliable system.
“Our AI-based integration of quality control systems has greatly helped identify even the smallest issue in completed modules to ensure we’re delivering top-quality products every time,” Catlin said.
The AI-enabled systems are used across other segments of the company’s CNI production line, with Northrop Grumman stating that it has created a “smarter, more efficient manufacturing environment focused on speed, precision and repeatable quality.”
The Integrated Assembly Line Features A Mix of Advanced Technology
Northrop Grumman also explained that its Integrated Assembly Line in Palmdale, Calif., is now employing a mix of automation, robotics, and mixed reality tools to produce the center fuselage, the largest stealth-critical structural assembly for the F-35 Lightning II. These advanced tools allow the company to produce components at a rate of one unit every 30 hours, a delivery cadence vital to meeting the demands of the fifth-generation fighter. The firm also manufactures the aircraft’s advanced aerostructures using proprietary machinery and tools. It continues to deliver critical components, such as wing skins and nacelles, for all variants at high rates.
Northrop Grumman remains a critical industry partner on the Lockheed Martin-led F-35 team. As of October 2026, more than 1,373 F-35s across all three variants have been built and delivered globally. The fleet recently reached major milestones, including surpassing one million total flight hours.
