Jane Edwards
Lockheed Martin has realized approximately $45M in savings to produce 15 full-mission simulators for the 11th batch of low-rate initial production F-35 fighter jets.
The company said Tuesday the production savings can be attributed to the integration of 3D-printed components into simulators, use of automation and implementation of long-term supply chain contracts.
“We’re serious about driving out costs and excited to generate continued production savings across all our programs using advanced manufacturing,” said Amy Gowder, vice president and general manager of Lockheed’s training and logistics solutions unit.
“In addition to our production savings, we’re investing more than $30M through 2020 to reduce F-35 training sustainment costs while increasing concurrency and capability.”
Lockheed said the $30M investment includes modernization of the virtual training environment based on F-35 users’ needs and emerging threats; use of new technologies to reduce software and hardware footprints in the visual and computing infrastructure; and effort to advance continuous concurrency between F-35 and training platform.
The company cited Block 4 training system updates and Distributed Mission Training capability as some of the F-35 program’s training milestones for 2019.
