Mary-Louise Hoffman
Lockheed Martin has opened a new facility in Bedfordshire, U.K., to host testing of mission software platforms for the F-35 aircraft.
The Virtual Analysis Laboratory is located at the company’s site in Ampthill and designed with simulation cockpits for pilots and engineers to assess F-35 mission systems, Lockheed said Friday.
“Establishing the F-35 VAL in the U.K. will prove invaluable as the program matures and its highly classified nature means users will be able to replicate real life operational situations and put the mission system to the test in realistic scenarios,” said Stephen Ball, CEO of Lockheed Martin U.K.
The company built the lab to complement a flight training program in Eglin, Florida, for Royal Air Force and Royal Navy air crews and plans to use simulation data to tailor operational systems on the U.K.’s F-35Bs.
The U.K. military expects to reach the initial operating capability status for its F-35B fleet in 2018.
