Government/Military Trends

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Project: A Global Engineering Partnership

Issue Table of Contents

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Project: A Global Engineering Partnership EIA-836: Taking Configuration Management Standards to the Next Level Collaborative Engineering and Information Sharing at Work on the F-35 JSF Project

"No man is an Island, entire of it self" wrote the seventeenth century poet John Donne, who might have written similar words today about organizations working on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The F-35 JSF is being built by an international government/industry partnership involving eight countries and hundreds of firms from around the globe. Getting this choir to sing in harmony is a challenge of major proportions, especially given the need for a fast, efficient flow of information.

A Global Fighter

The F-35 is a stealthy (radar evading), supersonic, multi-role fighter that will be operated and maintained by the armed forces of several partner nations, hence the requirement for international cooperation in its design and construction. A conventional-takeoff-and-landing (CTOL) version is being built for the Air Force, a carrier-based version for the Navy and a short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) version for the Marine Corps and for the British Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.

Only the Best Need Apply

Lockheed Martin, winner of the F-35 JSF contract in October 2001, uses a "best value" approach in selecting suppliers for the JSF project. Prospects are evaluated on the basis of quality, affordability and technical capability. Just as the F-35 must satisfy the defense needs of eight partner countries, so must the aircraft's design and construction accommodate the need for international "best of class" companies to make it a reality.

The Virtual Approach

The Lockheed Martin JSF Program Office has envisioned a virtual enterprise model to build this next-generation fighter. Striving for a seamless engineering and business environment, the project team is coordinating the work of the principal partners (Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems) with that of the many sub-tier contractors down through the end of the supply chain.

The Right Information at the Right Time

Operating in a virtual environment compels participants to use commonly understood data and methods, despite the fact that each entity may have developed its own unique way of doing things. Centralizing information about specifications and standards and pooling validated engineering data, for example, fosters a collaborative engineering process that speeds design and development, improves quality and reduces cost-all goals of the program. Having quick, easy access to the specifications and standards required for the project also helps with compliance management. Sub-contractors with desktop access to the same specs and standards as the prime contractors find it much easier to comply with requirements and don't waste time chasing down information.

Doing More with Less

The military awarded the JSF contract on a cost goal and performance basis as part of a long-term quest to do more with less. Contractors working on the project are being asked to do the same. Having access to critical knowledge resources across the enterprise is one way they are achieving this goal. Those contractors best able to demonstrate the ability to collaborate both commercially and technically are those most likely to find themselves working on the JSF project^1.