Joint Strike Fighters Will Begin Arriving At Eglin Next
Year
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II program remains focused
on preparations for opening the Integrated Training Center at Eglin
Air Force Base in the Florida panhandle in 2010. The facility
will train F-35 pilots and maintainers worldwide.
"The Eglin Integrated Training Center will turn out pilots and
maintainers who are fully mission qualified," said Eric Branyan,
Lockheed Martin vice president and F-35 deputy program manager.
"The center features a full mission simulator that will be
networked to other trainers on site, enabling formation flying and
virtual war gaming." Branyan spoke at the 2009 Air Force
Association Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition in
Washington, D.C.
During the exposition, Branyan and Joint Strike Fighter Deputy
Program Executive Officer Maj. Gen. C.D. Moore provided a general
F-35 program update, with a focus on preparations for standing up
the training center at Eglin AFB. F-35 deliveries to Eglin AFB
begin in 2010, with initial operational capability (IOC) scheduled
for the U.S. Marines in 2012, the U.S. Air Force in 2013 and the
U.S. Navy in 2015.
"While 2009 proved to be a year of firsts for F-35, 2010 is
shaping up to be an exciting year as flight test kicks into high
gear, aircraft are fielded at Eglin to start the integrated
training program and our first production aircraft are delivered,"
Gen. Moore said. "Meeting these near term milestones gives us
greater confidence in our ability to deliver the tremendous
capabilities of the F-35 to the warfighter on the planned IOC
schedule."
Branyan extolled the capabilities of the integrated training
center at Eglin, noting, "Technology is integral to the training
center and allows pilots and trainers to receive hands-on
interaction. F-35 pilots will have the use of portable laptop
trainers that they can check out and take home. The trainers
include a stick and throttle and helmet-display glasses, along with
a realistic F-35 panoramic cockpit display, voice command and
Internet connectivity for multi-ship formations."
For maintainers, computer-based courses will be available, along
with desktop computers teaching fundamental maintenance and laptop
computers loaded with technical data that can be transported to the
flight line.
The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th generation fighter, combining
advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor
information, network-enabled operations, and lower operational and
support costs. Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its
principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems.
Two separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development:
the Pratt & Whitney F135 and the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine
Team F136.