The Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) has been awarded a new contract by Lockheed Martin to collaborate on a pioneering airframe crack repair project. This multi-year initiative, conducted under an Industrial Participation Program, will focus on extending the service life of critical aircraft structures by integrating small fatigue crack theory with advanced repair processes like laser peening and cold spray.
The project aims to develop and refine methodologies for designing and repairing structural parts, moving beyond traditional approaches to address tiny cracks at their earliest stages. This proactive strategy is key to enhancing the operational readiness and safety of military aircraft while reducing long-term lifecycle costs.
For NLR, this marks a significant strengthening of its ongoing partnership with Lockheed Martin, which began five years ago. The collaboration will involve direct knowledge exchange between Lockheed Martin subject matter experts and NLR scientists, covering structural test design, critical sizing lessons, and the qualification of state-of-the-art repair concepts.
“For NLR, this project offers an excellent opportunity to further strengthen our strong relationship with Lockheed Martin and to transfer essential new technological insights and knowledge to the Dutch MRO industry,” said NLR CEO Tineke van der Veen. She emphasized that the gained knowledge will provide Dutch industry with a powerful, competitive tool to support the armed forces.
Lockheed Martin officials echoed the sentiment, highlighting the mutual benefits. “I am excited to team-up with the brilliant engineers and scientists at NLR to address methods that can reduce the overall lifecycle costs of our shared weapons systems,” stated Scott Carlson, Sr. Staff Engineer at Lockheed Martin. He noted that such Industrial Participation Programs unlock significant synergistic potential for developing and qualifying advanced, life-extending processes.
The partnership is also a strategic priority for Dutch industrial policy. JC Dicke, Commissioner for Military Production of The Netherlands, affirmed that “Supporting this cooperation with our Dutch Industrial Participation Policy is key,” as it offers major advantages for both the research institute and the broader Dutch industrial base looking toward future industrialization of these technologies. The project solidifies the role of international collaboration in maintaining cutting-edge defense capabilities.
