Lockheed Martin Drives Affordability in F-35 Training

Millions Saved on F-35 Trainers, Advanced Manufacturing Reduces Production Costs

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Nov 27, 2018, 15:00 ET

ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) reduced the cost of an F-35 Full Mission Simulator (FMS) by $3 million per copy since program inception, reflected in Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) lot 11. Comprised of 15 simulators, these LRIP 11 savings generate approximately $45 million savings for the F-35 program.

F-35 production teams at Training and Logistics Solutions (TLS) achieved these unit price reductions through several measures including:

The F-35 Full Mission Simulator provides initial qualification and mission rehearsal for pilots flying the F-35 Lightning II. More than 700 pilots to date have completed training in the Full Mission Simulator. Photo: Lockheed Martin

Executing long-term supply chain contracts and employing automation on the production line
Leveraging advanced manufacturing techniques, highlighted by the integration of 3D printed simulator parts including component housings and brackets

Future use of this advanced technology, including the printing of simulator cockpits, is projected to save an additional $11 million during the next five years.

"We're serious about driving out costs and excited to generate continued production savings across all our programs using advanced manufacturing," said Amy Gowder, TLS vice president and general manager. "We aren't stopping here. In addition to our production savings, we're investing more than $30 million through 2020 to reduce F-35 training sustainment costs while increasing concurrency and capability."

The $30 million sustainment investment includes:

Modernizing the virtual training environment based on emerging threats and needs of F-35 operators
Reducing costs by infusing new technologies to shrink hardware and software footprints in the computing and visual infrastructure, automating support tasks and reducing manpower support requirements
Driving continuous concurrency between the training system and the F-35 aircraft

F-35 training milestones for 2019 include the initial Distributed Mission Training (DMT) capability and Block 4 training system upgrades. DMT allows physically separated aviators to train together and enables interoperability with 4^th Generation platforms in a virtual environment.

To learn more, visit www.lockheedmartin.com/F-35Training.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 100,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. This year, the company received three Edison awards for ground-breaking innovations in autonomy, satellite technology and directed energy.

SOURCE Lockheed Martin