PETER LA FRANCHI / CANBERRA
Lockheed Martin has floated the concept of a global financial consortium to underwrite international support arrangements for its F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, as the company explores a variety of business models for "power by the hour" support at a global level for all US JSF aircraft from 2011.
The US Department of Defense is pushing for potential international buyers to adopt the same autonomic logistics support system to lower JSF operational costs for all users. More conventional models being studied by Lockheed Martin are emphasising a joint support arrangement extending current links with BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman and other major suppliers.
Luke Gill, Lockheed Martin head of the JSF autonomic logistics integrated product team, says the financial consortia model is based on the large number of countries across which JSF support will have to be replicated if the Pentagon's objective of global commonality is to be achieved. This could result in requirements for an in-service financial support base substantially larger than can be provided by any single company, he says.
It is intended that the operators will receive new items in exchange for failed equipment, with the supplier owning and managing the spares pool. Gill says: "We are talking about the suppliers owning the spares. However there has got to be some umbrella type contract because the government doesn't want to go to each widget supplier. It becomes a Lockheed Martin issue."
A Lockheed Martin decision on the preferred business model will be made within 12 months.
Source: Flight International
