by At a Mansfield parts maker, Jake Ellzey took off his blazer and entered an F-35 flying simulator.
The congressman from North Texas, a former fighter jet and helicopter pilot in the U.S. Navy, cautioned that since he has never flown an F-35 Lightning II, he might not perform well. He was simulating a takeoff when his fictitious flight suddenly swerved to the right and crashed a few minutes later.
I informed you! To a small group of people watching him at Gamma Aerospace, Ellzey stated.
The simulator, a modified F-35 cockpit with numerous visual screens, was enhanced by him. On the left is a throttle, while on the right is a controller with a red weapon-firing button. As Gamma Aerospace commemorated its decades as a defense producer, the simulator was on exhibit on August 14.
Founded in 1971, Gamma Aerospace relocated to Mansfield in the early 1980s and, by providing parts for F-16 and F-22 aircraft, turned into a defense contractor in the 1990s. The company, which employs over 100 people with an average tenure of ten years, currently provides Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems, Northrop Grumman, and two defense companies situated in Fort Worth: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. and Bell Textron Inc.
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Jason Jackson, president of Gamma Aerospace, stated that the company has expanded over the years and that roughly 85% of its operations are tied to the military, with an additional 10% being focused on aerospace.
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Assembled at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 program supports over 1,900 subcontractors and earns billions in defense military contracts. 49,000 direct and indirect jobs are represented by more than 17 local suppliers.
According to Jackson, the effect extends beyond the boundaries of our factory. The F-35 preserves jobs, encourages innovation, and builds stronger communities nationwide by supporting small businesses like ours.
Gamma Aerospace has been producing 2,500 parts for the F-35 stealth fighter airplane since March 2004. These parts include hydraulic brackets and metal plane panels. According to Jackson, the company supplied around 20,000 separate parts for the F-35 in the past year, encompassing 350 distinct part numbers.
They are more than simply part numbers. “They embody my team’s accuracy, expertise, and dedication,” Jackson stated.
According to Edward Stevie Smith, director of F-35 strategic initiatives at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, suppliers like Gamma are essential to the operation of F-35 aircraft.
You are essential to this capability, which is why I enjoy going out and speaking with our vendors, Smith said. We depend on the quality and accuracy of the parts you manufacture to ensure that our men and women who strap this airplane on and carry out our country’s mission return home every single day, whether it’s off the flight deck of an aircraft carrier or off an airport into combat.
During his nearly ten years at Lockheed Aeronautics and its Skunk Works branch, Smith, a 22-year veteran of the Navy, claimed he witnessed the same spirit of service.
Every day, I get to work alongside our men and women in uniform to ensure that this product remains a great and extraordinary combatant for many years to come, Smith added. And that’s quite significant.
“The F-35 program has really hit its stride and maturity in the nearly two decades since the first aircraft was delivered to the military,” Smith said.
Smith stated that Lockheed Martin has supplied more than 1,200 aircraft to a rising number of partners, allies, and U.S. military organizations across the globe.
We take great pride in that. In addition to fortifying our U.S. alliances in Europe and the Pacific, it is also attracting new clientele and fitting in perfectly with the current administration’s policy of allowing our partners and allies to fight their own battles in their own backyard alongside our American service members. We are improving our partners’ strategic skills across the globe.
According to Smith, Lockheed Martin’s 2025 F-35 production exceeded 110 deliveries this year, outperforming the production of any other fighter plane.
According to him, that is greater production capacity than all of the fighters in the world combined, excluding those that are constructed in Fort Worth, Texas.
In the second quarter of this year, Lockheed Martin had losses of $1.8 billion. Among the losses is a $950 million charge on a classified program involving its Fort Worth-based Skunk Works business. A lawsuit about the company’s losses has been filed.
Smith claimed that the F-35s’ recent performance during strikes on Iran demonstrated the fighter jets’ capabilities and ability to deter peace threats.
He stated, “Don’t get me wrong, there are nations out there now that are preparing, preparing, and preparing to take away those freedoms that we and our partners and allies hold so dear.” Whether it’s in the day-to-day work we all do or in the battle our great congressman fights on the Hill, that guard and vigilance cannot be let down. They must ensure that these programs are fully funded, fully modernized, and maintained so that the best equipment and the sharpest blade remain in use as they fight all over the world.
In his third term representing portions of Tarrant County, Ellzey praised retired U.S. Representative Kay Granger, a former mayor of Fort Worth, for her longstanding support of the F-35 and other defense initiatives.
Without the efforts of the wonderful Kay Granger, a remarkable woman who plays a major role in the continuation and success of our program, none of us would be here today. He said, “We pray for her and her family’s health.”
In order for me to embarrass myself later, Ellzey, a former commercial pilot who is a member of the Defense Subcommittee and the House Appropriations Committee, gave Lockheed Martin credit for introducing the F-35 simulator.
According to him, the F-35 is among the world’s top fighter jets and is superior than combat drones.
“This aircraft is desired by all,” Ellzey added.
According to Jackson, the manufacture of the F-35 helps hundreds of small businesses that provide the aircraft’s parts.
According to Jackson, this program produces more than just state-of-the-art aircraft. It creates jobs, helps families, and propels the country’s economy forward. It serves as a reminder that funding initiatives like the F-35 is an investment in the vitality of our communities and the future of American manufacturing.
The Fort Worth Report employs Eric E. Garcia as a senior business reporter. Go to [email protected] to reach him.
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