The US military needs to reconsider the concept of supplying parts for the F-35 Lightning II fighter jets if they
What is known
At the moment, the F-35 program is organized according toprinciple of Just in Time (JIT). This is a popular logistics concept that ensures that all components arrive in the right quantity at the right place and just in time for production. As a result, stocks are practically non-existent.
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According to Schmidt, in the private sector, the concept of JITkeeps costs low. However, in the event of a future war with a worthy opponent, such an approach could lead to disaster on the battlefield.
Bridget Lauderdale,vice president and general manager of the F-35 program at Lockheed Martin, said the company is focused on trying to predict the demand cycle to predict when it will need parts. According to her, a number of components require preliminary time for preparation, despite the availability of facilities and funding.
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Michael Schmidt names F-35 support network"huge". It covers aircraft from 27 military bases and 10 ships. Fifth-generation fighter operators are nine countries, and 17 states are participating in the aircraft development program.
The officer says internationalThe F-35 program will allow the US and partners to work together and maintain their fighters more efficiently. In a few years, 500-600 fifth-generation aircraft will fly in Europe, of which less than 100 will belong to the United States. This is a great opportunity to use each other's logistics and maintenance.
The F-35 program has made significant progress ineliminating the shortage of power plants, which was the "main degradation factor" that reduces the readiness of fifth-generation fighters. In the past months, only one F-35 Lightning II did not have an engine. A year ago there were four dozen.
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In 2022, the commander of the complexAir Force Logistics in Oklahoma said the base has changed its processes, hired more workers, and purchased new tools and equipment to repair F135 engines. F-35 maintainers began to receive more information to assess the condition of the power plants without the need to remove the F135 from the aircraft.