New F-35 Partnership

Lockheed Martin is partnering with Turkish company Rocketsan for the SOM-J, a new air-to-surface standoff cruise missile for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, according to a company statement.

Roketsan and Lockheed signed a teaming agreement Oct. 22 formalizing the collaboration, the statement reads.

"The SOM system is an autonomous, long-range, low-observable, all-weather, precision air-to-surface cruise missile," according to the statement. "The SOM-J variant is tailored for internal carriage on the F-35 aircraft."

The munition will provide the F-35 and other aircraft a capability for long-range, survivable cruise technology, Rick Edwards, missiles and fire control executive vice president for Lockheed said in the statement.

The Turkish government announced May 6 it would place an initial order for two F-35A conventional-takeoff-and-landing aircraft, which will be delivered in the Block 3F configuration as part of low-rate initial production Lot 10.

Turkey is one of nine partner nations helping to pay for the development of the JSF. Turkey's program of record has a requirement for 100 F-35A aircraft.