Slated To Come Online In 2010
Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II advanced fighter has
surmounted another hurdle towards front-line duty. The company
tells ANN the program recently completed Pilot Training System
Critical Design Review (CDR), a milestone Lockheed says verifies
the design maturity of the pilot training system and its
subcomponents.
The review -- conducted by Lockheed Martin's Simulation &
Support in Orlando, FL -- included representatives from the Joint
Strike Fighter Program Office, the F-35 contractor team, members of
the US military services and the F-35 international partner
services. Completion of the CDR is a prerequisite for the Pilot
Training System to move into the implementation phase which
includes software and hardware development.
The corresponding maintainer training system CDR will be held in
the fourth quarter of 2008.
"The results of our pilot training systems design review helps
ensure that pilots get the most comprehensive,
technologically-advanced integrated schoolhouse possible
including simulator and classroom training," said Dale Bennett,
Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training & Support president.
The F-35 pilot training system offers a training curriculum that
includes a Full Mission Simulator with a 360-degree field-of-view,
desktop simulation exercises, courseware lessons and flight events.
The curriculum is tracked and scheduled using Training and Learning
Management System software.
"A unique characteristic of the F-35 pilot training system is
its reuse of aircraft software for the simulators and air system
data for the courseware, said JoAnne Puglisi, Lockheed Martin F-35
Training System Director. "This level of reuse enables high
fidelity and also reduces software and courseware development and
life cycle support costs."
F-35 pilots will train at the new Integrated Training Center at
Eglin AFB in Florida slated to open in 2010, coinciding with the
arrival of the first two Low Rate Initial Production aircraft
scheduled for delivery to the US Air Force.
The F-35 is a supersonic, multi-role, fifth-generation stealth
fighter designed to replace a wide range of existing aircraft,
including AV-8B Harriers, A-10s, F-16s, F/A-18 Hornets and United
Kingdom Harrier GR-7s and Sea Harriers.
The US Air Force will operate 1,763 F-35As, while the US Marine
Corps and Navy together are planning to operate 680 F-35Bs and
F-35Cs, and the United Kingdom plans to place 138 F-35Bs into
service with the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. The remaining F-35
participant countries plan to acquire more than 600 aircraft.
Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 Lightning II with its
principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE
Systems.
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