Lockheed turns on JSF maintenance network

Information system that will link global F-35 operators is activated for flight test

Lockheed Martin is getting a head start on plans for a global Joint Strike Fighter support system by switching on the information network that will collect, analyse and communicate maintenance data early in F-35 flight testing.

The autonomic logistic information system (ALIS) will begin collecting data from the first F-35, which had completed 17 flights by the end of April. Initially data will be entered by maintainers, but an upgrade is planned to enable the aircraft to downlink data in flight, says Kevin LeBeau, ALIS integrated product team director.

Initially ALIS provides 38% of the functionality needed to support the 14 development flight-test aircraft planned, says LeBeau, enabling maintainers to isolate faults and trigger the supply chain to deliver replacement parts.

Initial functionality is based on commercial software, including the Maintenix maintenance management system developed by Canada's Mxi Technologies, but LeBeau says the ALIS team is developing shippable code every 30 days. When the second F-35 flies in May 2008 maintainers will be able to run checks and access status on the flight line using laptops.

Lockheed has established an operations centre at its Fort Worth, Texas plant that will include sustaining engineering to develop repairs for the aircraft. Local ALIS servers will be sited at Edwards AFB and NAS Patuxent River to support flight testing, and at Eglin AFB where the first F-35 integrated training centre will be located.

Currently spares are warehoused locally, but just-in-time delivery from suppliers will come with later releases to support performance-based logistics. "We plan a phased implementation," says Kimberly Gavaletz, vice-president, autonomic logistics and global sustainment.

"In Phase 0, supporting flight test, we define the metrics to execute Phase 1 [the first two production aircraft], in which we collect the data for Phase 2, where we start to use the metrics with an increasing set of suppliers," she adds.