AT $300 BILLION, the Joint Strike Fighter is the world's biggest ever defence contract - and engineering expertise from Lancashire is right at the heart of the programme.

BAE Systems is a key partner in the American 'super plane' and workers at Samlesbury and Warton have a critical role to play in its development.

The JSF programme is vital to the future of BAE's operations in Lancashire and to dozens of its engineering sub-contractors in the county.

The next generation stealth fighter is currently in the development phase, with orders for just 22 planes. BAE is responsible for the design and manufacture of the aft fuselage and the tails and fins at Samlesbury and for key elements of the flight systems. The value to BAE of this phase alone is £1.3billion over a 10-year period.

When the JSF goes into full production, BAE will be sitting on orders worth £11billion - a figure that could double with the anticipated export orders.

Work at Samlesbury will account for around half that total and underpins the future of the plant for the next 25 years.

The man responsible for BAE's involvement is Lancashire-born engineer Tom Fillingham who has the grand- sounding title of vice president JSF.

He is now working out of programme leaders Lockheed Martin's base in Fort Worth, Texas, along with 230 other BAE engineers who have mostly come from Samlesbury and Warton.

At BAE's £50million JSF building at Samlesbury components are being assembled for the first demonstration aircraft. It is impressive and represents the world's most technologically advanced manufacturing facility - even the temperature and humidity are controlled to the same levels as the final assembly line in Fort Worth.

"The tolerances we are working to are incredible," Tom explained at a recent flying-visit to Lancashire. "Controlling temperature and humidity means there can be no changes to assemblies brought about by expansion or contraction."

Tom believes that BAE has brought a lot to the partnership with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. "As well as the short take-off and vertical landing expertise we have through our work for the Harrier, we have the advanced manufacturing capability we developed for the Eurofighter."

Tom said the accuracy BAE could work to on the production line had given the JSF its stealth characteristics.

"The manufacturing techniques we have developed here makes the JSF a much more affordable plane," he said. "Our American partners are always impressed when they see the facilities we have at Samlesbury and Warton."

In addition to the 230 BAE workers in America, a further 700 are employed on the JSF contract in Lancashire, mostly based at Samlesbury. When the plane goes into full production - an agreement is expected at the end of 2006 - there will be up to 1,000 extra jobs created.

There will also be a massive spin-off for the East Lancashire engineering companies, such as Gardner Aerospace and Brookhouse Composites who are already working with BAE on the JSF.

"There will be opportunities for firms to work with us," said Tom. "This is very much a best value programme and if companies are competitive, they will win work from us."

The JSF is being developed for the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, as well as the UK's Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. Three variants of the aircraft are being developed: a conventional takeoff and landing aircraft; a short takeoff and vertical landing variant, for the US Marine Corps and both the UK Royal Navy and Royal Air Force; and a carrier aircraft for the US Navy.

Current orders for the super fighter stand at 2,593, with the UK committed to 150 planes. Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Australia have become partners on the programme, creating an export potential for a further 2,000-3,000 aircraft and Israel has also joined the party with Singapore expected to join in the near future.

The launch JSF will be operational in 2010, with the first UK Squadron due to enter service in 2012.