To meet the challenges, Lockheed Martin has adopted Teamcenter® software provides industry-specific product lifecycle management capabilities. Teamcenter® is built on an open product lifecycle management foundation that connects people and processes to create and share product knowledge.

The F-35 program is expected to produce as many as 3,000 plus aircraft, which will have life spans as long as 30 years. All design and manufacturing data for each aircraft configuration must be managed as well as the data required to support the planes during their lifetimes. This means that every design change needs to be validated against all possible configurations. There is an additional challenge here as well: A key program goal is achieving cycle time reductions in both design and manufacturing.

The first phase of F-35 collaboration linked 5,000 users at facilities with security safeguards to ensure compliance with USA International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). To date, more than 6,500 users across the extensive supplier network have also been brought online, totaling more than 130 sites worldwide.

With a storage area network (SAN) containing more than five terabytes of product information, Teamcenter® supports workflow and design processes. Participants store data locally for improved response time — 70,000 data items are replicated across 15,000 locations daily with Teamcenter.

In addition to managing F-35 program information, Teamcenter® also manages several processes related to the aircraft’s development. For example, Teamcenter’s workflow capabilities control development and release processes, as well as product options and variants.

Lockheed Martin anticipates manufacturing time to be reduced by up to 66 percent, with a huge reduction in tooling. Spare parts needed are expected to be less than what they are for other fleets.

1. The F-35 will do the job of four aging aircraft
2. Regional Aviation Users Work Together To Coordinate Valley’s Airspace Needs

The Yuma community received some reassurance Tuesday that the Marine Corps Air Station will be at the forefront of military technology in the coming years.

A representative of the local base, Lt. Col. Geoffrey Olander, told a community support group that indications are that MCAS Yuma will get its first F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in May 2012. That is based on current timetables and preferred basing plans by the military.

Much yet needs to be done, however. Various basing options are still being considered by all the military branches that will use the latest-generation fighter, and environmental impact hearings need to be held. Final decisions are planned for December.

MCAS Yuma appears to have a leg up in the process because of the urgency of replacing the aging vertical takeoff Harrier jets currently used by squadrons here. The Harriers will be replaced by a version of the F-35 that has similar capabilities.

“We need to stay on our timeline,” said Olander. “The Harriers are running out of their service life.”

Replacing the Harriers is critical to the continued high readiness of the Marine air wing to support the defense of our nation.

MCAS Yuma also plays a major role in training units from other bases, due to the good flying weather and top-notch range facilities here. That will continue as the F-35 is transitioned into various units.

The pending arrival of the F-35s also has important implications for the community economically.

Olander noted there will be “hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure” changes at the base to support the new fighter. The impact on our community will be significant in terms of civilian jobs and the continued presence of the Marines here.

Community support could be a key element in making all this happen and ensuring a place for the base here well into the future. That is why a local community group has formed to support the F-35 transition and assure the military of our readiness to receive the aircraft.

1. Yuma voices concerns and support for F-35
2. Luke community thankful for your support
3. Support Building for Statewide F-35 Luke Forward Campaign

Venlet will get the job after U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he would restructure the program because of its poor record, Lexington Institute analyst Loren Thompson said.

Thompson, who works for many of the largest defense companies and has close ties with defense officials, said he heard about the appointment from his sources within the U.S. government.

“Venlet certainly has all the experience and expertise required to manage a program of this kind,” Thompson said. “Not only does he have an engineering background and experience as a pilot, but he already manages a large organization focused on military aircraft.”

Pentagon and Navy officials had no comment beyond remarks made by Gates on Monday.

Venlet, a three-star admiral who oversees Navy and Marine aviation programs, is a former Navy fighter pilot and a test pilot. He also was a program executive officer for Navy tactical aviation programs.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced the shake-up of the F-35 program, overseen by Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) while announcing the Pentagon’s proposed $708 billion budget for fiscal 2011 on Monday.

Citing the program’s “troubling performance record,” he said he was docking Lockheed $614 million in performance fees and replacing the program’s Pentagon manager, Marine Corps Major General David Heinz, a two-star general, with a three-star officer.

“To now move forward in this program in a realistic way, one cannot absorb the additional costs that we have in this program and the delays without people being held accountable,” Gates told reporters on Monday.

Gates did not name the new F-35 program manager, but sources familiar with the program said an announcement was expected soon.

Heinz drew the ire of administration officials last year when he spoke of the advantages of maintaining competition for the engine that will power the F-35, despite the White House’s drive to cancel an alternate engine being developed by General Electric Co (GE.N) and Britain’s Rolls-Royce (RR.L).

The main engine for the F-35, the Pentagon’s largest acquisition program, is being built by Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp (UTX.N).

Lawmakers and supporters of the GE-Rolls engine seized on Heinz’s comments to underpin their arguments to keep the multibillion dollar program going, and prevailed in maintaining funding in the fiscal 2010 budget. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa. Editing by Robert MacMillan)

1. F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program revitalized by Sec. Robert Gates
2. Lockheed’s F-35 program shuffled three executive positions Monday
3. Political pressure building for C-17′s, the alternative engine for F-35 and the F-22 Raptor

WINOOSKI — With the Vermont Air National Guard among the contenders to receive new fighter jets, Raymonde Perron of Winooski asked the pilots whether they could keep the noise down when they fly overhead.

“They have this piercing sound,” Perron said, adding that the F-16s the Guard has now drown out conversation on the ground.

Brian LaMothe, also of Winooski, said he had no concerns about the possibility the Guard might replace its F-16s with F-35s.

“I’m proud to have them in my backyard,” LaMothe said.

Perron and LaMothe attended an open house Monday at the O’Brien Community Center in Winooski held by the U.S. Air Force and Vermont Air National Guard to solicit public opinion regarding the possible fighter-jet switch. Throughout the two-hour meeting, the room held about two dozen people.

The Air Force is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement to evaluate how flying F-35s out of one or more U.S. military installations might affect the environment, including civilians’ ears.

“The biggest question is the noise impact,” said Brig. Gen. Steve Cray, the assistant adjutant general for the Vermont Air National Guard. The F-35 is “somewhat louder” than the F-16, Cray said.

“How much louder is yet to be determined,” he said, adding the noise is comparable to that of an F-18 or F-22.

The Environmental Impact Statement also will evaluate how the planes affect air quality and whether they will require new ground facilities or modifications to existing facilities, Cray said.

The F-35s will not be operational until 2012-14, said Capt. Jennifer Pearson, spokeswoman for the Air Force’s Air Combat Command. However, the Air Force could decide next year where those planes will be distributed.

The plane is a few feet shorter and wider than the F-16, but unlike its predecessor, the F-35 will have advanced stealth capabilities, according to the Air Force.

The Air National Guard Station at Burlington International Airport is one of five bases the Air Force has considered to receive some of the aircraft. The other locations are an Air Guard station in Florida, Air Force bases in Idaho and Utah, and a joint Air Force-Air Guard base in South Carolina.

Between 200 and 300 F-35s could be distributed among the bases, Cray said. If selected, Burlington stands to receive between 18 and 24 planes.The Vermont Air National Guard has 15 to 18 F-16s, spokesman Lt. Col. Lloyd Goodrow said.

Lt. Col. Chris Caputo, who has flown F-16s with the Guard for more than three years, said he wanted a chance to fly F-35s out of Burlington.

“It’s awesome,” Caputo said. “It’s always fun to be a part of something new.”

Contact Matt Ryan at 651-4849 or mryan@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com.

1. F-35 public information sessions for Jacksonville Air National Guard Station in Florida
2. F-35 Lightning II EIS Hearing in South Burlington Vermont
3. Missouri Guard sending two airmen to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base

Hearing the stories associated with the military in Arizona, it’s easy to see why we are so eager to support the men and women at Luke Air Force Base.

Beyond what these brave soldiers do in protecting our nation each and every day, their contributions to our state cannot be overlooked. Their operations impact our everyday economic lives; this is the untold, and oftentimes overlooked, Arizona story.

As chairman of the House Military Affairs and Public Safety committee, I am honored to work on these issues and have gained an understanding of the real impacts military installations like Luke AFB have on our state.

The state of Arizona is now being presented with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring the military’s next generation fighter pilot training mission to Arizona – the F-35. It should be the job of every Arizonan to actively support the Luke Forward campaign to bring this joint strike fighter to our state.

Adding this training program to Arizona’s military installation in Glendale will help protect and grow Arizona’s economy, add high quality jobs and increase investments here.

Following World War II, defense industry production and manufacturing companies moved from the West and East coasts and found new homes inland. Arizona earned a lion’s share of those jobs and employers. Decades later, the aerospace and military-related industries in Arizona continue to be a critical platform of our state’s economic engine.

Consider the impact of 45,000 employees around the state. Their home and car purchases, their retail impact, their travel – and each of these multipliers generate state tax revenue to provide families with health care, education and other vital services.
Aerospace manufacturers and all of their supply chain partners add to this ripple effect on the economy.
This holistic viewpoint demonstrates the true value of military installations in Arizona. Beyond the military operations around the state, including civilian employees and the military contractors (such as aerospace manufacturers), there are countless businesses who benefit directly from these activities.

In 2008, the Arizona Department of Commerce commissioned The Maguire Company to study the overall impact of military operations in the state. The study found that:

·        45,000 full time employees work in military operations in Arizona

·        75,000+ military retirees live near our military bases in Arizona

·        $2.1 billion in annual payroll and retirement benefits are added to the Arizona economy
annually

·        $3.2 billion in direct economic output in Arizona

·        $9.1 billion in direct, indirect and induced impacts

The F-16 mission at Luke Air Force Base continues to train and deploy the nation’s best fighter pilots. Training the nation’s best fighter pilots is a long-standing mission at Luke, and it must continue.
All Arizonans have a direct call to action – our citizens and our elected leaders must fight for Arizona to earn the next fighter jet training mission. The F-35 training mission will secure the future of our state’s military operations and create a more robust economy that benefits every Arizonan.

There’s no tomorrow in this effort – Luke and Arizona need our support today.

——————

State Representative Jerry Weiers serves the voters of District 12 in the West Valley and is the chairman of the House Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee. He also is a licensed pilot and a member of the Civil Air Patrol.

1. The Impact of Luke and Other Military Operations
2. Arizona is recognized as a national model in protecting military facilities
3. Luke Air Force Base Serves as the “School House” for Air Force Fighter Training

Goodyear’s City Council has recognized for years the importance of protecting the base from encroachment.

In 1994, the Council adopted a new zoning policy that requires all new residential developers in the city to inform buyers that their property is subject to aircraft flyovers from Luke. But, this was just the beginning of several actions this southwest city has done to help protect Luke’s mission.

During the ‘90s as residential growth continued around Luke, it became increasingly apparent that the Southern Departure Corridor was essential to the future viability of Luke’s mission.

The increased pressure of residential developments north of the base prevented Luke from flying live ordinance off the north end of the runway. As a result, the Southern Departure Corridor became the only route F-16 fighter pilots headed to the Barry M. Goldwater Range could use to carry live ordnance.

This change of live ordnance flights to the south in 2001 caused major safety concerns for Luke and the city of Goodyear.

One such concern centered on Duncan Family Farms, which had become a very popular field-trip destination for many area schools since 1991. With the change in live ordnance flights, the farm was now located directly in Luke’s accident potential zone.

The city worked closely with the farm’s owners and several other nearby property owners to find alternative locations for them to relocate that were outside the accident potential zones. When no sites could be found that were acceptable to all parties, Goodyear became the first city to make a substantial financial commitment to protecting Luke’s interests by purchasing Duncan Family Farms.

Two years later, Goodyear took another major step in protecting the only remaining flight corridor for Luke’s fighter pilots.

In 2003, Goodyear Mayor Jim Cavanaugh and council members partnered with Arizona’s congressional delegation to request money in the federal government’s Military Appropriations Bill for land acquisition to preserve access to the Barry M. Goldwater Range.

On March 18, 2004, a press conference was held to announce that $27.3 million in federal money had been awarded to buy land around Luke to protect the base from residential encroachment.
“This was a great day for Luke Air Force Base and a great day for Goodyear,” said Cavanaugh. “More than 90 percent of the Southern Departure Corridor’s 4,000 acres are located in Goodyear, and this money made it possible for the government to compensate land owners in our city and protect Luke’s mission.”

With the federal appropriation, the threat of residential encroachment south of the base was well on the way to being controlled. But Goodyear officials felt one more bold steps were needed.

The final and arguably the most substantial protection effort was a rezoning decision the City Council made in 2005 relating to 200 acres of property within the noise contour lines.

Robson Properties had sought and received approval from Goodyear in 1998 to use this property for phase two of the Pebble Creek master-planned community.
However, after the noise contour lines were amended into the city’s General Plan in 2000, building residential units on this property was no longer an option. At the city’s request, Robson Properties agreed to move the planned residential units to property outside the noise contours. The developer also agreed to no longer build residential units within the adopted noise contour lines.

“Over the years, Goodyear has demonstrated its dedication and commitment to protecting Luke Air Force Base,” said Cavanaugh. “This not only applies to Luke’s current mission, but its future missions as well. Bold action was required then, and bold action is required now for us to secure the new F-35 training mission.”

As a result of the proactive actions and decisions that Goodyear has made over the last two decades, the city is now known as the “proud home of Luke’s Southern Departure Corridor.”

1. Major F-35 training mission criteria requirement met by Luke Air Force Base
2. City of Surprise Supports the F-35 and the Sound of Freedom from Luke Air Force Base
3. Luke Air Force Base anti-encroachment pact protects base for F-35 mission

The impression is that many El Mirage residents are opposed to Luke being considered for the follow-on mission of the F-35. Nothing could be further from the truth!

There are a great number of El Mirage residents who are not in lock step with those few city leaders who are leveraging the selection process to force payments from the federal government.

A great number of us, a number which is growing every day, are concerned that our leadership may jeopardize the follow-on mission by their antics and paint the entire city as opposed to Luke and the F-35.
Like many of our city leaders’ communications, El Mirage’s messages are mixed, particularly when matched with their actions.

Case in point: the city’s recent “Sustainability Forum,” which was presented as an opportunity for the community to hear about El Mirage development issues, was nothing more than a compare-and-contrast of what El Mirage could be were it not for development restrictions caused by Luke AFB.

The most worrisome part of the meeting was the fact they played a recording inside a concrete room of various aircraft acoustics with the clear intention of stoking the fears of its own citizens over the perceived noise issue.
El Mirage residents and the West Valley need serious discussion about the impacts of a new mission at Luke AFB. We don’t need a self-generated media storm by our elected officials attempting to leverage towards an ill-defined outcome. That is why we formed the citizen group, People Of El Mirage.

The People of El Mirage is a collection of El Mirage residents who will give voice to those within the city who support Luke AFB, who are open to having a follow-on mission of the F-35 and who want open discussion about the impacts of a new mission on our city — not fear mongering and pandering from those we elect to serve us.

We will have a website at www.PeopleOfElMirage.com in the coming weeks, which will help disseminate information and hold our elected officials accountable to the people they serve.
The People of El Mirage citizens group recently hosted a public meeting with representatives from Fighter Country Partnership, Luke AFB, and Dr. Jack Rutherford from Arizona State University to provide a factual basis from which residents could draw their own conclusions.

We had close to 300 people from El Mirage — people who wanted facts about the issues and process. We plan to hold more meetings in the coming months to ensure that the facts and process are clearly understood and not used in some alternative way to damage our city’s reputation any further than it already has been.

The upcoming public process is designed to gather information, relate it to the public and allow communities to assess the impact on their communities. Our intention is to ensure the facts are not skewed, that the process is open and that the real impacts on our city are known and understood.

The EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) process will be open to all residents and groups of impacted communities to show their support and gather/submit information.  We welcome the start of this process.

————————————————–

Ms. Lana Mooks is a resident of El Mirage

1. Large Crowds in El Mirage Support New F-35 at Luke Air Force Base
2. Jim Cavanaugh – The future of Luke Air Force Base
3. Peoria mayor urges Luke Air Force Base support

Presentations have also been made to citizens groups in such communities as Surprise and Sun City West. In addition, Luke Forward representatives have staffed informational tables at events in Glendale and Goodyear.

“The feedback from business leaders and citizens has been extremely positive,” said Jerry McCoy, deputy director of marketing/communications for the city of Glendale, who is helping with the Luke Forward campaign. “We  had 300 people show up for a meeting in Surprise and another 250 people for a presentation in Sun City West. Everyone attending these meetings wants to know what they can do to help us in this effort.”

With the recent announcement that Luke is one of five bases nationwide being considered to receive the new F-35 mission, it is anticipated the Air Force will soon begin holding public “scoping” meetings in advance of its  Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process at Luke and the other candidate bases. Both the scoping meetings and the eventual EIS process will allow citizens and communities around the candidate bases to provide input during the formal assessment of each base. Based on the results of the EIS, the Air Force is expected to announce its F-35 preferred basing locations in late spring 2010 with the release of its draft EIS.
Once that process is completed, the Air Force will issue its “record of decision” and announce its fi nal basing decision. This announcement is anticipated to be made in early 2011.
The Luke Forward campaign was developed by the West Valley Partners and Fighter Country Partnership. The West Valley Partners include Avondale, Buckeye, Glendale, Gila Bend, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Maricopa County, Peoria, Phoenix, Surprise, Tolleson, Wickenburg and Youngtown.

For more information on Luke Forward or to schedule a business or community presentation, call 623-882-2191 or visit www.LukeForward.com.

1. Large Crowds in El Mirage Support New F-35 at Luke Air Force Base
2. Peoria Chamber gathers troops to support F-35 mission at Luke
3. LUKE AFB SELECTED AS PREFERRED LOCATION FOR F-35 PILOT TRAINING CENTER