WASHINGTON \u2014 After months of delays, the newest iteration of the F-35’s logistics system is finally ready to be installed on the aircraft, manufacturer Lockheed Martin announced Wednesday.
All versions of the joint strike fighter use the same logistics architecture, but the Marine Corps\u2019 F-35B needed a particular update to the engine\u2019s computing system for ALIS 2.0.2, said Mike Beard, who works F-35 logistics strategy and customer engagement for Lockheed. Pratt & Whitney didn\u2019t have that update done in time for testing at Nellis and Edwards Air Force bases, but have since completed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Now that we have that, we\u2019ll be integrating it [with ALIS], and we\u2019ll be able to roll it out to the Marine sites,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aside from the engine integration, ALIS 2.0.2 also includes software improvements that will allow for a better connection between deployed ALIS systems and the ones located at home bases, according to Lockheed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ALIS 2.0.2 has been supporting planes at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, since March, and it will gradually be rolled out to operational sites by the end of the year, the company said. The logistics system is already in use at more than 20 locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“This upgrade will allow deploying units to predict \u2018what if\u2019 scenarios inside ALIS, removing most of the manual planning that is done today,” Reeves Valentine, the company\u2019s vice president of F-35 logistics, said in a statement. “ALIS 2.0.2 will allow users to forecast and make those decisions. Picking the best jets, support equipment, spare parts and personnel for the deployment and managing resources throughout their lifecycle\u00a0\u2014\u00a0that type of data should ultimately translate to better aircraft availability.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ALIS 2.0.2 was supposed to be complete in time for initial operating capability of the Air Force\u2019s F-35A last August, but integrating the F-35\u2019s engine with the logistics system proved to be more difficult than expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the summer of 2016 began, Lockheed predicted it would take until at least October or November to field the capability. The general in charge of making the\u00a0initial operating capability\u00a0declaration \u2014 Gen. Herbert Carlisle, then-head of Air Combat Command, who is now retired \u2014 ultimately opted to move forward with the milestone without ALIS 2.0.2 on board, stating that F-35 squadrons had proven they could deploy without the capability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because of the delays to ALIS 2.0.2, some of the capability for the next version of the system, ALIS 3.0, has been offloaded to the later version, called ALIS 4.0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ALIS 3.0 is still planned to be fielded in early 2018 in time to close out the program\u2019s system development and demonstration phase. Valentine said the focus of ALIS 3.0 was including key user enhancements seen as critical for wrapping up the\u00a0system development and demonstration phase\u00a0\u2014 including improved data transfer software that reduces the time it takes to load large files and tools that filter out redundant information \u2014 as well as security updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The new ALIS 4.0 version will be completed a year later for an early 2019 fielding, he said. Besides further usability enhancements, it will incorporate new capabilities that address, for example, diminishing material supplies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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