Australia’s voice loud and clear in the global F-35 test team

Two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) members have recently taken part in the assessment of the first international F-35 deployment in the Netherlands.

Flight Lieutenant (FLTLT) Ben Mason and Sergeant (SGT) Justin Kelly are two of 33 Australian personnel working full time in the United States representing Australia’s interests in the global F-35 Program.

They are responsible for testing the F-35 air system in an operationally representative environment, the outcomes of which are critical to informing Australia on how best to support the F-35A aircraft.

As a maintenance expert, SGT Kelly, said his position as part of the JSF’s Joint Operational Test Team (JOTT) based at Edwards Air Force Base enables Australia to have an influential voice in the global F-35 Program.

“Australia’s involvement in Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) activities gives us a huge voice in the F-35 Program and a chance to drive change in a direction that suits the RAAF’s interests,” SGT Kelly said.

From an F-35 supportability perspective, both FLTLT Mason and SGT Kelly consider the F-35’s Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) to be the defining difference to any other platform they have worked on.

“Maintaining a modern day fighter aircraft has been done before, but using ALIS to do so is cutting edge and will revolutionise the way we maintain aircraft,” SGT Kelly said.

“ALIS provides the information system infrastructure (hardware, software and data) that performs maintenance management, fault diagnostics, supply support, mission planning, and training management across the F-35 weapon system.”

FLTLT Ben Mason, the Logistics IOT&E Coordinator, said he can see how his role directly influences Australia’s F-35A sustainment planning.

“We’ve been able to provide insight from our experiences here to help shape the way in which Australia will use and support the aircraft, including ALIS,” FLTLT Mason said.

Air Commodore (AIRCDRE) Terry Saunder, Acting Head Joint Strike Fighter Division, said the RNLAF deployment to the Netherlands was a beneficial exercise.

“Having the opportunity to observe the preparation, pack-up, deployment and reconstitution of F-35A’s to the Netherlands provides Australia with valuable insight as we prepare to ferry our first two aircraft to Australia in 2018,” AIRCDRE Saunder said.

“This provides great confidence and reduces the risks we are managing as we plan to integrate this new and exciting capability into the broader Defence environment.”

The JOTT is a collaborative undertaking between the US, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Australia consisting of five operational test squadrons responsible for operating and maintaining all three variants of the F-35; plus three Integrated Project Teams who support operational test planning, execution and reporting activities.

The Australian Government has approved the acquisition of 72 Conventional Take-Off and Landing F-35A aircraft to replace the ageing F/A-18A/B Hornet fleet and has taken delivery of the first two of these jets, which have accumulated over 630 flying hours at the F-35A International Pilot Training Centre (PTC) at Luke AFB, Arizona.

Australia’s next eight aircraft will be delivered in 2018, two of which will be the first to be ferried to Australia. The remaining six will be temporarily based at the PTC at Luke AFB through to 2020.

 

Souce:  CASG Comms