Eglin AFB to Be Global Training Site for Lockheed Martin F-35

September 14, 2009 by Jeffrey Bradford · Comment
Filed under: Lockheed Martin, Syndicated Industry News

Eglin AFB to Be Global Training Site for Lockheed Martin F-35
September 14, 2009

WASHINGTON, -- The Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) F-35 Lightning II program remains focused on preparations for opening the Integrated Training Center at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., in 2010 - a facility that will train F-35 pilots and maintainers worldwide.

"The Eglin Integrated Training Center will turn out pilots and maintainers who are fully mission qualified," said Eric Branyan, Lockheed Martin vice president and F-35 deputy program manager. "The center features a full mission simulator that will be networked to other trainers on site, enabling formation flying and virtual war gaming." Branyan spoke at the 2009 Air Force Association Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition in Washington, D.C.

During the exposition, Branyan and Joint Strike Fighter Deputy Program Executive Officer Maj. Gen. C.D. Moore provided a general F-35 program update, with a focus on preparations for standing up the training center at Eglin AFB. F-35 deliveries to Eglin AFB begin in 2010, with initial operational capability (IOC) scheduled for the U.S. Marines in 2012, the U.S. Air Force in 2013 and the U.S. Navy in 2015.

"While 2009 proved to be a year of firsts for F-35, 2010 is shaping up to be an exciting year as flight test kicks into high gear, aircraft are fielded at Eglin to start the integrated training program and our first production aircraft are delivered," Gen. Moore said. "Meeting these near term milestones gives us greater confidence in our ability to deliver the tremendous capabilities of the F-35 to the warfighter on the planned IOC schedule."

Branyan extolled the capabilities of the integrated training center at Eglin, noting, "Technology is integral to the training center and allows pilots and trainers to receive hands-on interaction. F-35 pilots will have the use of portable laptop trainers that they can check out and take home. The trainers include a stick and throttle and helmet-display glasses, along with a realistic F-35 panoramic cockpit display, voice command and Internet connectivity for multi-ship formations."

For maintainers, computer-based courses will be available, along with desktop computers teaching fundamental maintenance and laptop computers loaded with technical data that can be transported to the flight line.

The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations, and lower operational and support costs. Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development: the Pratt & Whitney F135 and the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team F136.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

Technorati Tags:
JSF (Joint Strike Fighter) Program, Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT), Military Training

Tags: branyan, Defense Industrial Base, deputy program manager, initial operational capability, integrated training, Lockheed Martin, program executive officer, space conference, technology exposition, u s air force, u s navy

Boeing Airborne Laser Engineers Receive Missile Defense Agency Award – Press Release

April 29, 2009 by Matthew Potter · Comment
Filed under: Boeing, Business Line, Companies, Congress, Department of Defense, Events, Lockheed Martin, MDA, Military Aviation, Northrop Grumman Corp., Services, U.S. Air Force, development program, missile defense

WASHINGTON, April 29, 2009 — Three Boeing [NYSE: BA] Airborne Laser (ABL) engineers and three of their government and industry teammates received the Technology Pioneer Award from the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) on March 23 for advancing technologies that would enable ABL to intercept and destroy ballistic missile threats.

MDA presented the award at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics/MDA 7th Annual Missile Defense Conference in Washington to honor the recipients’ work in developing critical technologies central to implementing high-power directed energy on ABL as a new class of powerful weaponry for the warfighter. Two critical ABL components are the high-energy laser to shoot down ballistic missiles soon after they are launched, and the beam control/fire control system that points the
laser beam while compensating for atmospheric turbulence. The laser, the beam control/fire control system and a state-of-the-art battle management suite are now integrated aboard the ABL aircraft, which underwent the largest modification to an airplane ever accomplished by Boeing. ABL is scheduled to perform a missile-intercept test this year.

“The six members of the joint government-industry team that received this prestigious award greatly deserve this recognition,” said Michael Rinn, Boeing vice president and ABL program director. “Thanks to their technical skill, teamwork and boundless dedication, we will soon be able to demonstrate the revolutionary speed, mobility, precision and lethality that the Airborne Laser could provide to America’s warfighters. ABL could change not only missile defense, but warfare in general, and these technology pioneers have blazed a path for other directed-energy weapons to follow.”

The honorees are:

* Don Clapp, ABL chief engineer and mission assurance manager, Boeing
* Jeff Hartlove, ABL deputy program manager, Northrop Grumman
* Steve Lamberson, ABL chief scientist, ABL System Program Office, MDA
* Dave Morris, ABL chief scientist and system performance manager, Boeing
* Harold Schall, ABL chief engineer for integration and testing, Boeing
* Paul Shattuck, ABL beam control/fire control chief engineer and technical director, Lockheed Martin.

Boeing is the prime contractor and overall systems integrator for ABL, which is designed to provide speed-of-light capability to destroy all classes of ballistic missiles in their boost phase of flight. ABL also has the potential to be deployed for other missions, including destroying aircraft and surface-to-air missiles.

The ABL aircraft is a modified Boeing 747-400F whose back half holds the high-energy laser, designed and built by Northrop Grumman. The front section of the aircraft contains the beam control/fire control system, developed by Lockheed Martin, and the battle management system, provided by Boeing.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world’s largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

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Contact Info:
Marc Selinger
Boeing Missile Defense Systems
(703) 414-6138
marc.selinger@boeing.com

Chuck Cadena
Boeing Missile Defense Systems
(703) 872-4503
chuck.cadena@boeing.com

Tags: abl aircraft, aeronautics and astronautics, american institute of aeronautics and astronautics, atmospheric turbulence, ballistic missile threats, ballistic missiles, beam control, boeing vice president, chief engineer, deputy program manager, directed energy weapons, fire control system, intercept test, missile defense agency, missile defense conference, mission assurance, northrop grumman, pioneer award, technology pioneer, technology pioneers