{"id":20421,"date":"2018-07-14T17:00:27","date_gmt":"2018-07-14T17:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/07\/14\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:51:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:51:30","slug":"4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2018\/07\/14\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\/","title":{"rendered":"4 ways Lockheed\u2019s new F-35 head wants to fix the fighter jet program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FORT WORTH, Texas \u2014 The F-35 fighter jet is the U.S. Defense Department\u2019s largest and most expensive weapons program, with a projected life-cycle cost of more than $1 trillion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That price tag makes it a huge moneymaker for prime contractor Lockheed Martin, but with big opportunity comes big responsibility to fix the various problems that have cropped up during the Joint Strike Fighter\u2019s development. As Lockheed\u2019s new general manager of the F-35 program, Greg Ulmer is the latest official charged with fixing those issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense News sat down with Ulmer in June for a wide-ranging interview about the F-35\u2019s future and how Lockheed is addressing continued challenges in the program. Here are the four major points that the program head detailed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>1. Full-rate production<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The F-35 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2018\/04\/12\/f-35-program-office-wraps-up-final-developmental-flight-test\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">flew its final developmental flight test in April<\/a>, and after its initial operational test and evaluation period starting this fall \u2014 where the F-35 will be assessed by the Pentagon\u2019s independent weapons tester \u2014 the department will make a decision about whether to move into full-rate production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are positioned to support [full]-rate [production], which means all the tooling is in place, the training to equip and train the employees to do that work, the materials on order, the workflow through the factory in terms of our planning have been laid to support that,\u201d Ulmer told Defense News in a June 22 interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2018\/02\/28\/the-f-35-may-be-heading-into-its-faceoff-with-the-a-10-this-april\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4064151.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">The F-35 may be heading into its faceoff with the A-10 this April<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The F-35 has a big close-air support test this April. Is this the much-hyped F-35 versus A-10 showdown?<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, still left on the checklist is buying the \u201clast stretch of tooling\u201d necessary to support full-rate production, he said. Lockheed and the F-35 Joint Program Office are still in discussions on a contract for that equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The biggest challenge will be ensuring the raw materials are ready and on the production room floor when it\u2019s time to begin fabricating a new F-35, as well as ensuring the supply base can support both production and sustainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSo we\u2019re constantly looking at: Are the lead times appropriate? Do I have enough capacity within the supply chain, and how can I improve that?\u201d he said. \u201cIs there [a] way to resequencing [or] refine our sequence of work? As we go faster, we learn how to go faster \u2014 so continuously refining our work instructions.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>2. Follow-on modernization<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the F-35 is approved for full-rate production, the program will immediately move onto its Block 4 follow-on modernization effort, where the jet will get new sensors, weapons and IT upgrades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last September, Vice Adm. Mat Winter, the government\u2019s F-35 program head, announced that Block 4 had been reconceptualized as an agile software development \u2014 now known as Continuous Capability Development and Delivery, or C2D2 \u2014 where <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2018\/04\/30\/air-force-acquisition-exec-to-reduce-f-35-sustainment-cost-focus-on-agile-software\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">incremental software updates will be created and tested<\/a> at a faster clip than the more traditional waterfall method.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2018\/03\/08\/new-f-35-modernization-plan-could-come-with-hefty-16b-price-tag\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4124577.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">New F-35 modernization plan could come with hefty $16B price tag<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The effort could rack up a price tag of up to $10.8 billion for development and $5.4 billion for procurement of upgrades to the F-35 between fiscal years 2018 through 2024.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lockheed has \u201cquite a bit of experience\u201d with agile software development in its Skunk Works technology unit, but less so in its aeronautics business, Ulmer said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The aeronautics unit has already begun embedding military users within its development cycle, allowing troops to weigh in on a product as it is being created and tested. However, that will need to be more formalized for C2D2, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat means we\u2019re going to contract different than we are today. We\u2019re going to be a lot more formal with actually bringing the war fighter forward into the development cycle as we do that,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re doing that right now with the JPO, working on those contracting methods.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lockheed has engaged the Pentagon\u2019s new software guru, Jeff Boleng, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/pentagon\/2018\/04\/13\/pentagon-creates-new-position-to-help-guide-software-acqusition-f-35-development\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">who was named the special assistant for software acquisition in April<\/a>. Boleng has visited the F-35 production line \u201ca couple times\u201d to get up to speed on the program, Ulmer said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cRight now he\u2019s trying to learn F-35. It\u2019s that simple. What is our architecture? He\u2019s mentoring both industry and DoD OSD [the Department of Defense\u2019s Office of the Secretary of Defense] relative to the opportunity space that he sees from his experience on how to apply an open-systems architecture [and] how you might restructure that architecture,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>3. Sustainment<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the development phase wraps up, numerous Defense Department officials have voiced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2018\/01\/18\/air-force-acquisition-nominee-takes-aim-at-f-35-sustainment-costs\/\" title=\"\" class=\"selected-link\" target=\"_blank\" data-original-title=\"\" aria-describedby=\"popover593628\" style=\"\">concerns about the mammoth costs of sustaining the F-35 throughout its life cycle<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Pentagon has conveyed that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2018\/03\/29\/air-force-aiming-to-lower-f-35-sustainment-costs-to-that-of-an-f-16\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">it wants to see<\/a> at least a 38 percent reduction in sustainment costs by 2036, Ulmer said. While Lockheed isn\u2019t the only company responsible for bringing down cost, it plans to meet its end of the bargain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have projects in place that we are predicting that we are going to meet or exceed that 38 percent reduction over that time period,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One big push that will help improve sustainability of aircraft is a \u201ctechnical refresh\u201d for early versions of the Joint Strike Fighter. Jets that were produced in the first six lots of aircraft have poor availability \u2014 hovering around 50 percent or less \u2014 mostly due to having earlier versions of hardware or subsystems that were less reliable, Ulmer said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The tech refresh will update older F-35s with new computing tech and improved, more reliable subsystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lockheed has also improved the preventative health onboard maintenance system aboard the aircraft, which tells the user when a part needs to be replaced. Early on, the system would often falsely convey that parts were broken, which drove up sustainment costs and the average time between part failures, Ulmer said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>4. Autonomic Logistics Information System<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The F-35\u2019s logistics system \u2014 the Autonomic Logistics Information System, or ALIS \u2014 has historically been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2018\/06\/05\/watchdog-group-to-pentagon-fix-f-35-tech-problems-before-full-rate-production-starts\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">one of the biggest headaches<\/a> for both Lockheed, which manufactures the product, and the military maintenance community. ALIS used to do everything from mission planning, repairs and the ordering of spare parts, but maintainers have complained about slow speeds and the high number of workarounds needed to use the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the past 18 months, Lockheed has focused on incremental software upgrades to ALIS that can improve performance, Ulmer said. The company has also sent out Lockheed representatives to a number of military bases \u2014 including Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina, Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona, and Hill Air Force Base in Utah \u2014 to get feedback from ALIS users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe just sit down with the maintainers and the operators and we learn what are their issues relative to implementation or use of ALIS. Then we rack and stack, in our discussions with them, their priorities. \u2018What would you do to improve ALIS operations?\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2018\/06\/01\/some-of-the-oldest-f-35s-on-the-globe-are-forced-to-sit-and-wait-for-upgrades\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/F-35-VMFAT-501-Flag-Bird-1.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Marine Corps F-35s dogged by parts shortages<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">It can take months for Marines to get the spare parts needed to repair the F-35B. But what is anyone doing about it?<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One metric that Ulmer pays attention to is how long it takes for maintainers to register a newly delivered F-35 within the ALIS system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are seeing very good metrics now. Typically within a day or two, that instance has been established and that airplane is flyable,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But, as Lockheed has been told, it takes too long to re-establish F-35s as part the ALIS system after the jets have been forward deployed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEvery part on the airplane, ALIS keeps that pedigree with it. So as the airplane ages, that pedigree gets longer and longer and longer, so the data file gets bigger and bigger,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re learning from an architectural point of view you don\u2019t need to carry all of that data with you.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Challenges still abound for the Pentagon&#8217;s most expensive acquisition program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":43693,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":87,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[7,160,29,162,87,12,36],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3384],"class_list":["post-20421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-air","category-daily-news-roundup","category-digital-show-dailies","category-digital-show-daily","category-farnborough","category-industry","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"UD3TOM3K3RDUFDSXFKV7OGHJPY","arc_canonical_url":"\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2018\/07\/10\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>4 ways Lockheed\u2019s new F-35 head wants to fix the fighter jet program - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Challenges still abound for the Pentagon&#039;s most expensive acquisition program.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"4 ways Lockheed\u2019s new F-35 head wants to fix the fighter jet program\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Challenges still abound for the Pentagon&#039;s most expensive acquisition program.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2018\/07\/14\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Defense News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-07-14T17:00:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T21:51:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Valerie Insinna\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Valerie Insinna\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/digital-show-dailies\\\/farnborough\\\/2018\\\/07\\\/14\\\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/digital-show-dailies\\\/farnborough\\\/2018\\\/07\\\/14\\\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"4 ways Lockheed\u2019s new F-35 head wants to fix the fighter jet program\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2018-07-14T17:00:27+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-07T21:51:30+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/digital-show-dailies\\\/farnborough\\\/2018\\\/07\\\/14\\\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1206,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/digital-show-dailies\\\/farnborough\\\/2018\\\/07\\\/14\\\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/4523038.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Air Warfare\",\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Digital Show Dailies\",\n\t                \"Digital Show Daily\",\n\t                \"Farnborough\",\n\t                \"Industry\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/digital-show-dailies\\\/farnborough\\\/2018\\\/07\\\/14\\\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/digital-show-dailies\\\/farnborough\\\/2018\\\/07\\\/14\\\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/digital-show-dailies\\\/farnborough\\\/2018\\\/07\\\/14\\\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"4 ways Lockheed\u2019s new F-35 head wants to fix the fighter jet program - Defense News\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/digital-show-dailies\\\/farnborough\\\/2018\\\/07\\\/14\\\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/digital-show-dailies\\\/farnborough\\\/2018\\\/07\\\/14\\\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/4523038.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2018-07-14T17:00:27+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-07T21:51:30+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Challenges still abound for the Pentagon's most expensive acquisition program.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/digital-show-dailies\\\/farnborough\\\/2018\\\/07\\\/14\\\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/digital-show-dailies\\\/farnborough\\\/2018\\\/07\\\/14\\\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/digital-show-dailies\\\/farnborough\\\/2018\\\/07\\\/14\\\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/4523038.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/4523038.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/digital-show-dailies\\\/farnborough\\\/2018\\\/07\\\/14\\\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Digital Show Dailies\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/digital-show-dailies\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"digital-show-dailies\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Farnborough\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/digital-show-dailies\\\/farnborough\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"farnborough\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 4,\n\t                    \"name\": \"4 ways Lockheed\u2019s new F-35 head wants to fix the fighter jet program\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Defense News\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Covering the politics, business and technology of defense | Defense News\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Defense News\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/defensenews-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/defensenews-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Defense News\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"4 ways Lockheed\u2019s new F-35 head wants to fix the fighter jet program - Defense News","description":"Challenges still abound for the Pentagon's most expensive acquisition program.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"4 ways Lockheed\u2019s new F-35 head wants to fix the fighter jet program","og_description":"Challenges still abound for the Pentagon's most expensive acquisition program.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2018\/07\/14\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\/","og_site_name":"Defense News","article_published_time":"2018-07-14T17:00:27+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-07T21:51:30+00:00","author":"Valerie Insinna","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Valerie Insinna","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2018\/07\/14\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2018\/07\/14\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"4 ways Lockheed\u2019s new F-35 head wants to fix the fighter jet program","datePublished":"2018-07-14T17:00:27+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-07T21:51:30+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2018\/07\/14\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\/"},"wordCount":1206,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2018\/07\/14\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4523038.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Air Warfare","Daily News Roundup","Digital Show Dailies","Digital Show Daily","Farnborough","Industry","Newsletters"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2018\/07\/14\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2018\/07\/14\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2018\/07\/14\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\/","name":"4 ways Lockheed\u2019s new F-35 head wants to fix the fighter jet program - Defense News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2018\/07\/14\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2018\/07\/14\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4523038.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2018-07-14T17:00:27+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-07T21:51:30+00:00","description":"Challenges still abound for the Pentagon's most expensive acquisition program.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2018\/07\/14\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2018\/07\/14\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2018\/07\/14\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4523038.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4523038.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2018\/07\/14\/4-ways-lockheeds-new-f-35-head-wants-to-fix-the-fighter-jet-program\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Digital Show Dailies","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/","ad_zone":"digital-show-dailies"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Farnborough","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/","ad_zone":"farnborough"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"4 ways Lockheed\u2019s new F-35 head wants to fix the fighter jet program"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","name":"Defense News","description":"Covering the politics, business and technology of defense | Defense News","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization","name":"Defense News","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/defensenews-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/defensenews-logo-white.png","caption":"Defense News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Defense News","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4523038.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20421","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20421"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20421\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74432,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20421\/revisions\/74432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20421"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20421"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20421"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=20421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}