Smiths Industries has won another in a series of contracts from Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter team. The company's Grand Rapids, Michigan, facility will develop the Tactical Data Equipment for the JSF if Lockheed Martin is chosen to build the new fighter.

The TDE will combine the functions of today's data cartridge systems, used to load mission plans into the avionics system, with voice, data and video recording for post-mission review. It will be based on COTS-commercial off the shelf-products and technologies.

Smiths now has four major subsystems on the Lockheed Martin JSF. The company is allied with Hamilton Sundstrand to supply the fighter's electrical power system. Smiths' Grand Rapids division is providing the fighter's stores management system and the company's Cheltenham, England, division is developing the remote input-output unit for the fighter's vehicle management system. The RIO links a variety of sensors and effectors to the VMS.