STUART, Fla. — SeaRobotics Corp. has been awarded a U.S. Navy Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I contract to develop a CRawling Amphibious Breacher (CRAB), an amphibious robotic crawler capable of proofing shoreline assault lanes and neutralizing explosive and non-explosive obstacles to ensure clear landing zones for armed forces personnel, the company said in a Sept. 15 release.  

Phase I of the process (Navy SBIR 20.3) is to further develop an innovative but cost-effective means of demonstrating how SeaRobotics’ proposed CRAB concept could operate in swarm formation to specifically disarm various mine types — buried and submerged — in surf and beach zones. As such, CRABs are required to be rapidly deployable from a surface or subsurface marine asset in coastal waters (up to 400 meters from shore) in depths up 12 meters (or approximately 40 feet.)  

One of the other defined Key Performance Parameters is the capacity to drop GPS markers to accurately identify optimal assault lanes, made visible via a shared operating system that plots landing paths on a driver display aboard a command Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV).  

“We are delighted to have been awarded this important SBIR Phase I contract,” said SeaRobotics president Don Darling. “Current advances in marine robotics are redefining what’s possible in terms of tactical explosive ordnance disposal, and the challenge of developing an amphibious crawler capable of operating eight-hour missions above and below the waterline in sand, mud, and shell soil sea floor conditions is a natural extension of our R&D efforts at SeaRobotics to engineer the next generation of autonomous, uncrewed systems for a range of defense applications.” 

Phase II of the Navy SBIR 20.3 process is to manufacture a scaled prototype to demonstrate system performance and test the required range of operational parameters. Results will inform the necessary refinements for a Phase III development plan and ultimately transition the proposed technology to Marine Corps use.  

When the Perseverance rover landed on Mars on Feb. 18, cheers and applause filled mission control at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. In the crowd celebrating was Matt Wallace, who as a young naval submarine officer plied the depths of the seas before journeying into a long career exploring space and the vast unknowns of the Red Planet.

Wallace had faced similar stress the day Perseverance was launched atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas Rocket V that blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on July 30, 2020. As the Mars 2020 deputy project manager and then project manager, he helped guide the rover’s mission to further explore Mars. He knew the planet well, starting as a power systems engineer on the Mars Pathfinder Sojourner vehicle and later working on the Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity rover missions.

But landing Perseverance was just as exciting and nerve wracking.

“That’s the thing you worry the most about. It’s so complex, and Mars always throws a surprise at you,” he said. “It was a big moment for everybody. Having been in this program as long as anybody, it was a particularly proud moment for me.”

The project team includes 2,000 people in Pasadena at JPL, a research and development center funded by NASA and managed by Caltech and more than 1,000 contractors around the country. “It’s been exciting and gratifying, both for me and for the team to understand that what they do is important,” Wallace said, adding, “I’m very, very proud.”

The team includes about 20 military veterans. “They really come to the table with a lot of great skills and great focus,” he said. “They tend to fit in very well. A lot of what we do requires teamwork.”

Wallace is particularly heartened by the broad public support and global interest in the Mars mission.

“The level of public excitement is off the charts,” he said, compared to Sojourner, the first to land and capture images of Mars’ dry, rock-strewn red landscape. “I think people are coming out of this year of COVID, and they’re looking for something that everyone can cheer for.” They include his former academy classmates.

“I heard from every single one of my 19th Company classmates,” Wallace, a 1984 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, said with a chuckle. “It had been on the news here and there, and people caught that.” He also appeared in a May 2020 CBS “60 Minutes” segment about the Mars launch and in the academy’s magazine.

Naval Interests

Wallace was just a toddler when the first U.S. attempts to reach Mars succeeded when the spacecraft Mariner 4 took grainy photographs of craters on its surface. As a young boy, he watched the televised Apollo missions to the moon and read books by Ray Bradbury, whose collection of science fiction writings includes “The Martian Chronicles” series about Mars and Martian life.

His father served in the U.S. Air Force, and while growing up around the Washington, D.C., area, Wallace listened to stories about the military, including one about a successful submerged trek under the North Pole by the nuclear-powered submarine USS Nautilus (SSN-571). “It intrigued me,” he recalled, and considerations about military service led to the Naval Academy.

“I just kind of fit into the Navy’s nuclear power program,” he said. At the academy, he got involved in telerobotics, which furthered his interest in space and is key to NASA’s space programs, including Mars.

Wallace graduated with a degree in systems engineering and, after initial training, reported to the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Albuquerque (SSN 706) at Naval Submarine Base New London, Connecticut.

The nuclear-powered submarine was relatively new, having commissioned into the fleet in 1983. But it was the Cold War, and the crew and boat stayed busy training and operating at sea. “It didn’t feel like training a lot of the time,” he said. “It felt like preparation. We had a very high op tempo … 75% op tempo.”

Still, he said, “I loved it. I really enjoyed it. I was single, and I could spend 75% of my time at sea and one of three days on ship when we were in port.”

Wallace was drawn to the boat’s engineering and mechanics. “The submarine is a very complex system,” he said, “and you have to learn all the engineering and reactor systems and qualify” in areas including weapons, communications, navigation and sensors. “I really enjoyed that multidiscipline.”

He learned about leadership, starting off with a small radar team, and the need for people with technical expertise who can operate well under pressure and as a team. “You absolutely have to figure out how to stay calm [and] make good decisions when everything is falling apart,” he said.

It also taught him how to work with a diversity of people. “Your crew comes from all different backgrounds across the country,” he said. “I had to understand that really quickly as a JO [junior officer] on a submarine and figure out how to make that connection.

“That part of my career was so informative and so important to me,” he said of his five years in the Navy, which provided him “a lot of skills that I still use today.”

From Sub to Space

Wallace received a master’s degree in electrical engineering from California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and was attracted to the challenge of space missions that demand people skilled in problem-solving, innovation and out-of-the-box thinking, so he landed work at JPL. He joined engineers and scientists tackling the problems and challenges of space flight to Mars and found similarities from his time undersea.

“The ocean is not always a friendly environment. There’s danger lurking in the ocean, especially when you are training to be in a highly unsafe environment,” he said. “Space is very much the same,” with dangers from radiation, cold temperatures, dust and loss of communications, and “they both require very highly reliable engineering systems.”

After Sojourner, Wallace led the assembly and test team for the twin Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity missions that landed on Mars in 2004, and was a flight system manager for the 2012 Curiosity mission. Much like the military, the Mars project “feels like another way to serve,” he said. “It’s something bigger than just doing the job, to be doing something with a lasting influence … for the future. And that’s what exploration is about. It’s about learning things you don’t know.

“It’s a hard business,’ he added. “It’s a very challenging domain to work in, like the military. This is not a 9-to-5 job. There is no textbook you can get to tell you know to land on Mars.”

Ancient Life

Discovery and science — specifically astrobiology — are at the heart of the Mars mission to search for ancient microbial life that may have existed 3 billion years ago. “I was intrigued by the challenge …  and the notion of looking for ancient life on Mars,” Wallace said. “At first, it seemed like a very unlikely technical rationale for going to the planet.”

But Curiosity found evidence of liquid water on Mars, with a neutral pH pointing to a once-habitable environment. “We are very seriously looking for evidence that life evolved on Mars at the same time that life was evolving on Earth. To me, that is just such a fundamental, transformational, scientific conclusion to learn that life could have evolved somewhere other than Earth.”

Perseverance landed in the Jezero Crater, which NASA scientists think was once a river delta, for a planned two-year exploration. With the autonomous helicopter Ingenuity, the rover on June 9 began its scientific work exploring and collecting dust, dirt and rocks that might contain microbes. Those samples, placed into 43 titanium tubes, are the reason for the next big mission to bring them to Earth for analysis and research.

NASA and the European Space Agency are working on that return mission, launching a spacecraft to Mars in 2026 at the earliest. “There’s an interesting crossover coming up. In order to get the samples off the surface of Mars, we have to essentially launch a small rocket into orbit, and it looks a lot like a surface-to-air missile,” Wallace said. For the development of that rocket, already underway, “we’ve been talking about which aspects of the industrial community and the military community could help with that.”

New Posting

On June 7, Wallace ended his tour as Mars 2020 project manager and became JPL’s deputy director for planetary science.

“From Sojourner to Spirit and Opportunity to Curiosity to Perseverance, Matt has played key roles in the design, construction and operations of every Mars rover NASA has ever built,” Jennifer Trosper, the new project manager, said in a June 9 NASA news article. “And while the project is losing a great leader and trusted friend, we know Matt will continue making great things happen for the planetary science community.”

Wallace is particularly excited about one mission, the Europa Clipper, an orbital spacecraft under development that will travel to Jupiter and study its mysterious, icy moon to look for signs of life. Clipper, expected to launch in 2024, could help identify ice and water, according to NASA. It’s no easy mission as the planet’s high radiation levels will require armored equipment and systems.

Another mission is the August 2022 launch of a spacecraft to the asteroid Psyche in the belt between Mars and Jupiter in the hope of new insights into how Earth and other planets formed. It’s expected to begin circling the asteroid and begin sending imagery and scientific data sometime in 2026.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Wallace said of his new role. “There’s a lot of great staff in the planetary sciences directorate … and a lot of research and development.”

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced Sept. 14 the president has made the following nomination:

Navy Vice Adm. Colin J. Kilrain for appointment to the rank of vice admiral, and assignment as assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C. Kilrain is currently serving as associate director for military affairs, Central Intelligence Agency, McLean, Virginia.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Many of the Mahanian principles of sea power are as applicable today as ever, the U.S. Navy’s top officer said, noting that navies and coast guards are the guarantors of the world’s commerce and hence the well-being of nations.  

“Providing a safe, secure, and stable maritime system is an imperative to all of mankind … and it is an essential part of what our navies do every day,” said Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday. “We are not simply the “keeper of the seas” … but the ‘keeper of the global way of life’ as well.”  

Gilday was addressing a gathering of naval leaders from around the world during the Sept. 15 opening day of the 24th International Seapower Symposium, an event normally held every two years at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. The event was attended in person or over the internet by 135 delegates from 104 nations. Last year’s planned symposium was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.   

“Like all of you … I believe that robust, resilient, and responsible sea power is an international consortium of like-minded nations,” Gilday said. “We are the primary guarantors of peace, prosperity, and the open flow of goods along the oceans.  
Our navies provide these benefits to the citizens we serve every day … in peacetime and especially during these times of competition … not just in rare moments of conflict.” 
   

The CNO pointed out that the ideas of Capt. Alfred Thayer Mahan bring to mind decisive battles at sea, sea control, and combat credibility.  
 
“I think many of those arguments are still relevant today,” Gilday said. “But over time … Mahan refined the rationale for sea power. Naval combat power became less pronounced, and economics took a more central role. Mahan believed that one of the fundamental applications of naval power was to protect an increasingly globalized world economy. You see, wealth generation comes from commerce … and commerce … floats on seawater. … Our economies, our values, and our cultures are more attached to the sea than any point in history.” 

The CNO noted several facts that illustrate the magnitude of the maritime economy today. The world’s trading fleet today includes more than 60,000 ships. New container ships nearly 400 meters long can carry more than 20,000 containers. There are more than 160 offshore wind farms providing electrical power to millions of homes and businesses. There are 20,000 desalinization plants that provide fresh water to hundreds of millions of people. Ships are engaged in deep-sea mining to extract critical minerals. He also noted the importance of underwater cables that transnational communications traffic.  

In a press conference following the speech, Gilday said “the seas are getting more contested and more congested,” and that “almost 100% of our internet connectivity is connected through trans-oceanic cables.” 
 
Gilday championed the international rules-based order that “preserves the maritime commons for freedom and fairness … for coexistence and for harmony … where the collective goals of all people — regardless of where they call home — can be advanced. 

“Since it is in the political, social, and economic interests of all of us to ensure the freedom of the seas … this is a responsibility with truly global consequences, not just for today, but for our children and their children,” he said. “It cannot be taken for granted … peace does not happen by accident. When the rules prevail, everyone prospers. When the rules are undermined … or worse, broken altogether … the world is a less secure and poorer place for all of us.”  
 
The CNO stressed the importance of the navy-to-navy and coast guard-to-coast guard relationships that “serve as a strong and stable keel for the broader international community. This keel serves as a shock absorber … and in turn … provides the underlying structure for global stability. 

“Every day … our Sailors send a “bow wave” of diplomacy in front of their path … assuring our allies, partners, and friends … and deterring malign behavior that threatens the international order that is so important,” he said. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy has ordered the first lot of Navy’s AMG-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles – Extended Range (AARGM-ER) following approval from the Defense Department. 

Naval Air Systems Command Awarded Alliant Techsystems Operations — a wholly owned subsidiary of Northrop Grumman Defense Systems — a $41.2 million firm-fixed-price contract for low-rate initial production lot 1 of the AARGM-ER, according to a Sept. 14 Defense Department contract announcement.  

“This contract provides for the production and delivery of 16 AGM-88G AARGM-ER All Up Rounds, six AGM-88G AARGM-ER Captive Air Training Missiles, four Common Munitions BIT Reprogramming Equipment Plus interface devices, initial spares, and required supplies and support,” the announcement said. 

The AARGM-ER received Milestone C approval on Aug. 23. 

The AGM-84G AARGM-ER, designed to attack hostile emitters, particularly radars that guide surface-to-air missiles, is a development of the AGM-84E AARGM that has been in service since 2012 with the role of destruction of enemy ground-based air defenses. The ER missile is considerably different in planform and appearance than the basic AARGM. The ER version is slightly shorter (160 inches versus 14 inches) than the basic AARGM but has a larger diameter (11.5 inches versus 10 inches) and is controlled by its tailfins rather than fins at the mid-body. The ER features a new rocket motor that takes up more of the length of the missile and is equipped with a new warhead. The aerodynamic characteristics of the ER plus its larger motor give the missile twice the tactical range in the same amount of time.   

The AARGM-ER will be carried on Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighters and EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft. The missile also is sized to eventually be carried in the weapons bay of F-35A and F-35C Lightning II strike fighters and on wing stations of the F-35B version.  

The Navy plans to continue captive and live-fire flight testing of the AARGM-ER through 2022. Initial operational capability is planned for 2023. 

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — USCGC Northland (WMEC 904) returned to Portsmouth Sept. 13, following an 80-day patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean in support of the Coast Guard 11th District and Joint Interagency Task Force South, the Coast Guard Atlantic Area said in a Sept. 15 release. 

The Northland’s crew patrolled the Eastern Pacific performing counter-drug operations with the support of an aviation detachment from the U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron flying an MH-65 Dolphin Helicopter. In addition to Northland’s HITRON detachment, aircraft crews from the U.S. Navy and Customs and Border Protection provided critical aerial surveillance and reconnaissance for the cutter throughout the patrol. 
 
During the patrol, Northland successfully interdicted several suspected drug smuggling vessels. On Sept. 8, the cutter pulled into U.S. Coast Guard Base Miami Beach and offloaded 7,833 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $148 million. The cutter crew also transferred three suspected narcotics smugglers to Coast Guard Seventh District and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration personnel, signaling the culmination of a successful joint interagency effort in the Eastern Pacific. 

Aside from successfully interdicting suspected drug smuggling vessels, Northland maintained a maritime assistance presence in the region throughout the patrol. On Aug. 11, the Coast Guard Eleventh District relayed an alert from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center Costa Rica reporting the fishing vessel Baula X on fire with three mariners trapped aboard. On Aug. 18, Northland launched the Dolphin crew in search of the boat. Upon successfully locating the burning fishing vessel, the helicopter crew guided Northland’s small boat team to the location. They safely rescued the three fishers and delivered them to the nearby cargo vessel Avra GR, participating in the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue program.  

When not actively chasing drug runners or rescuing fishers, Northland maintained a steady training regimen for new and veteran crewmembers on navigation, engineering, and nautical activities. Training for emergencies and routine operations is critical to sustaining Northland’s peak mission effectiveness and is in keeping with the Coast Guard’s motto, Semper Paratus  — Always Ready.  

“During this patrol, our crew showed terrific adaptability when responding to equipment malfunctions, scheduling changes, issues spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, and a litany of other challenges faced. Throughout all of this, the crew displayed tremendous determination and teamwork, resulting in multiple mission accomplishments. I am extremely proud of the effort put forth by Northland, our embarked aviation detachment, and all of the support elements that worked to ensure our safety and success throughout,” said Cmdr. Patricia M. Bennett, Northland’s commanding officer.  

USCGC Northland is a 270-foot Famous-class medium-endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth. The crew routinely deploys in support of counter-drug, migrant interdiction, fisheries, search and rescue, and homeland security missions. 

AMARILLO, Texas — Bell Textron, a Textron company, has successfully completed its 100th consecutive on-time delivery of the AH-1Z aircraft to the U.S. Marine Corps, which began nearly four years ago, the company said in a Sept. 14 release.  

Bell accomplished this milestone through tight coordination with its manufacturing and assembly facilities, UAW 218, numerous suppliers, and government partners. The H-1 series consists of the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom, which provide light attack and utility helicopter support to the Marines while maintaining a small logistical footprint through the 85% commonality between the airframes. 

“Performance like this takes a lot of work, communication, and trust to ensure alignment between numerous partners, all working toward the same objective. I could not be more proud of our Bell employees.” said Mike Deslatte, Bell H-1 vice president and program director. “Our front line workers, engineers, and supply chain professionals all help support the Marines. Their work designing, manufacturing, and assembling critical components while ensuring quality parts reach the production line on time help the Marines ensure our nation’s security.” 

Bell and its Team Viper/Venom partners collaborate with the U.S. Marine Corps H-1 Light/Attack Helicopter program (PMA-276) to provide integrated solutions and increase combat lethality and readiness. In addition to delivering production aircraft on time, Bell directly supports scheduled maintenance. The company is also working on new capability upgrades to equip the Marines with the most advanced technology available. 

“This is a feat only possible through the determination of our production team and the program’s strong relationship with our industry partners and suppliers,” said Col Vasilios Pappas, PMA-276 program manager. 

Bell is currently working toward the U.S. Marine Corps program of record and anticipates production of Marine Corps H-1 through 2022. The U.S. Marine Corps H-1 production contract is for 349 aircraft, consisting of 160 UH-1Y and 189 AH-1Z. Bell will continue manufacturing aircraft for foreign military customers including contracts for Bahrain AH-1Zs and a mixed Czech Republic fleet of both AH-1Zs and UH-1Ys. 

NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The CH-53K King Stallion successfully recovered a Navy MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter from Mount Hogue in the White Mountains of California on Sunday, Sept. 5, the Naval Air Systems Command said in a release.  

The two-day operation was the first official fleet mission for the Marine Corps’ new heavy lift capability, which is in the midst of initial operational test and evaluation with Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron One (VMX-1) at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. 

“VMX-1 received a request for assistance from the Naval Safety Center about an MH-60S Knighthawk that suffered a hard landing near Mt. Hogue [California], at an elevation of 12,000 feet mean sea level in July,” said Lt. Col. Luke Frank, CH-53K detachment officer in charge for VMX-1.  

The MH-60S Knighthawk was sitting on a high-altitude ridge in very rugged terrain near the California-Nevada line on July 16 following a hard landing. The helicopter was supporting a search and rescue effort for a lost hiker. All four crewmembers survived without injury and were rescued the following day. 

According to Frank, both the MH-60S unit and the Naval Safety Center had exhausted all other resources for recovery, including Army National Guard, Navy and Marine Corps fleet squadrons. “They all lacked the capability to lift the aircraft without an extensive disassembly,” he said. 

VMX-1’s CH-53K detachment quickly examined the environmental conditions and conducted a quick feasibility assessment of support and determined that the CH-53K could conduct the lift. The CH-53K fulfills the heavy lift mission of the Marine Corps as it greatly expands the fleet’s ability to move equipment and personnel throughout its area of operations. 

“After two weeks of exhaustive planning and assembling a team of more than 25 Marines and Sailors from VMX-1 and 1st Landing Support Battalion from Camp Pendleton, [California],. we deployed two CH-53Ks to Bishop, California, and got to work,” he said. 

The CH-53K was designed to lift nearly 14 tons (27,000 pounds) at a mission radius of 110 nautical miles in high and hot environments, a capability that expands the service’s range in supporting joint and coalition forces against potential adversaries. 

The MH-60S weighed approximately 15,200 pounds and was positioned in a tight ravine at nearly 12,000 feet mean sea level and needed to be transported over 23 nautical miles to the Bishop, California, airport. 

“After six months of flight operations with the CH-53K, the detachment had every confidence in the aircraft’s abilities to conduct the mission safely. Our main concern was the environmental factors ground support personnel would have to endure,” said Frank. 

“This is exactly what the K is made to do,” he said. “Heavy lift is a unique and invaluable mission for the Marine Corps. Horsepower is our weapon system and the CH-53K is armed to the teeth. The entire team of Marines at VMX-1, 1st Landing Support Battalion, and NAS Fallon Search and Rescue were extremely motivated to execute this mission and we are all very proud to have completed this one flawlessly.

“To be the first group of professionals to complete a real-world, heavy lift/high altitude mission in support of a unit who thought all options were off the table is extremely rewarding,” said Frank. “This is sure to be the first of what will be many, many successful missions for this aircraft and for heavy lift squadrons.” 

ST. LOUIS — The U.S. Navy and Boeing have used the MQ-25 T1 test asset to refuel a U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning II fighter jet for the first time, again demonstrating the aircraft’s ability to achieve its primary aerial refueling mission, the company said Sept. 14. 

This was the third refueling mission for the Boeing-owned test asset in just over three months, advancing the test program for the Navy’s first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft. T1 refueled an F/A-18 Super Hornet in June and an E-2D Hawkeye in August. 

“Every test flight with another type/model/series aircraft gets us one step closer to rapidly delivering a fully mission-capable MQ-25 to the fleet,” said Capt. Chad Reed, the Navy’s Unmanned Carrier Aviation program manager. “Stingray’s unmatched refueling capability is going to increase the Navy’s power projection and provide operational flexibility to the Carrier Strike Group commanders.” 

During a test flight Sept. 13, an F-35C test pilot from the Navy’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23) conducted a successful wake survey behind T1 to ensure performance and stability before making contact with T1’s aerial refueling drogue and receiving fuel. 

“This flight was yet another physical demonstration of the maturity and stability of the MQ-25 aircraft design,” said Dave Bujold, Boeing’s MQ-25 program director. “Thanks to this latest mission in our accelerated test program, we are confident the MQ-25 aircraft we are building right now will meet the Navy’s primary requirement — delivering fuel safely to the carrier air wing.” 

The T1 flight test program began in September 2019 with the aircraft’s first flight. In the following two years, the test program completed more than 120 flight hours, gathering data on everything from aircraft performance to propulsion dynamics to structural loads and flutter testing for strength and stability. 

MQ-25 is benefitting from the two years of early flight test data, which has been integrated back into its digital models to strengthen the digital thread connecting aircraft design to production to test to operations and sustainment. Boeing is currently manufacturing the first two MQ-25 test aircraft. 

T1 will be used to conduct a deck handling demonstration aboard a U.S. Navy carrier in the coming months to help advance the carrier integration progress. 

FORT WORTH, Texas — The F-35 Joint Program Office awarded the Lockheed Martin industry team annualized contracts covering fiscal years 2021-2023 to support operations and sustainment of the global F-35 fleet, supporting mission readiness and further reducing costs, the company said in a Sept. 13 release. 

The annual contracts fund critical sustainment activities for aircraft currently in the fleet and build enterprise capacity to support the future fleet of more than 3,000 F-35 aircraft. This includes industry sustainment experts supporting base and depot maintenance, pilot and maintainer training, and sustaining engineering for the U.S. and allies across the globe. It also covers fleet-wide data analytics and supply chain management for part repair and replenishment to enhance overall supply availability for the fleet. 

“Together with the F-35 Joint Program Office, we recognize the critical role the F-35 plays in supporting our customers’ global missions and the need to deliver this capability affordably,” said Bridget Lauderdale, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager of the F-35 program. “These contracts represent more than a 30% reduction in cost per flying hour from the 2020 annualized contract and exemplify the trusted partnership and commitment we share to reduce sustainment costs and increase availability for this unrivaled fifth-generation weapon system.”  

The fiscal 2021-2023 contracts represent a planned next step in further reducing overall operations and support costs for the F-35 program, which are shared between government and industry. Lockheed Martin has reduced our cost per flight hour by 44% in the past five years, with a forecasted reduction of an additional 40% in the next five years. The cost savings in the fiscal 2021-2023 annualized sustainment contracts support Lockheed Martin’s efforts to realize these goals. The savings will be achieved through improved cost and velocity in the supply chain, continued reliability improvements, and greater manpower efficiencies to provide product support solutions across the growing, global fleet. 

The contracts also pave the way for a longer-term, performance-based logistics (PBL) agreement for the F-35 program. PBLs are an industry best practice, facilitating agile sustainment solutions for the fleet and incentivizing even further affordability and performance results.  

The F-35 Joint Program Office, together with each U.S. service, international operators and the F-35 industry team, leads F-35 sustainment and global support. The 2021 annualized sustainment contract will cover industry sustainment activities through Dec. 31, 2021. 

Program data shows the F-35’s reliability continues to improve as the jet is approximately twice as reliable as fourth-generation fighters. It also shows maintenance labor hours needed per flight hour are well within the contractual requirement, while the global fleet is averaging around 70% mission capable rates. Lockheed Martin has significantly lowered its share of cost per flight hour over the last five years, and the broader F-35 team is working across government and industry to achieve greater affordability. 

More than 690 aircraft have been delivered and are operating from 21 bases around the globe. More than 1,460 pilots and 11,025 maintainers have been trained and the F-35 fleet has surpassed 430,000 cumulative flight hours.