F-35 Joint Program Office

F-35 Joint Program Office. The office is the single Department of Defense organization responsible for the development, production, and sustainment of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, a family of single-engine, fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft. Established to manage one of the most expensive and complex weapon system programs in history, it oversees all aspects of the Joint Strike Fighter program across the United States Air Force, United States Marine Corps, and United States Navy. The office coordinates with a global network of allied partners and foreign customers, managing a vast industrial base and supply chain to deliver and maintain the aircraft.

History and establishment

The office was formally established in 2001 following the selection of Lockheed Martin over Boeing in the Joint Strike Fighter competition. Its creation centralized management previously handled by competing service-specific offices, such as those for the F-22 Raptor and the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The program emerged from the Common Affordable Lightweight Fighter project and the Joint Advanced Strike Technology program of the 1990s, aiming to replace a wide array of legacy aircraft like the F-16 Fighting Falcon and AV-8B Harrier II. Key early milestones included the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with initial partner nations and the first flight of the F-35A in 2006.

Organization and leadership

The office is led by a U.S. Air Force Program Executive Officer, a three-star general or senior executive service official, who reports to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. Its structure integrates personnel from the Department of the Air Force, Department of the Navy, and United States Marine Corps, as well as civilian acquisition specialists. Key subordinate directorates handle areas like engineering, logistics, test and evaluation, and business operations. The office maintains a close working relationship with the prime contractor, Lockheed Martin, and key suppliers such as Pratt & Whitney for the F135 engine and Northrop Grumman for core avionics.

Program management and responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include the overall systems engineering, development, testing, production, fielding, and global sustainment of all F-35 variants. This involves managing the extensive supply chain across hundreds of suppliers and ensuring interoperability between the F-35A, F-35B, and F-35C models. The office oversees all operational test activities conducted by the 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron and the Naval Air Systems Command. It also manages the continuous capability development and delivery pipeline, known as Continuous Capability Development and Delivery, which provides software and hardware upgrades through Agile software development methodologies.

International partnership and foreign military sales

The program operates under a unique multilateral partnership structure established by the original Memorandum of Understanding. Tier 1 partner nations, including the United Kingdom and Italy, made significant financial investments and have industrial participation. Other partners like Norway, the Netherlands, and Australia are involved in production and sustainment. The office also manages Foreign Military Sales cases for customers such as Japan, South Korea, Israel, and Poland through the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. This global network involves complex workshare agreements and technology security protocols managed in coordination with the National Defense Authorization Act.

Budget, cost, and acquisition

The program is governed by a Fixed-price contract structure for production lots, with costs tracked by the Selected Acquisition Report submitted to United States Congress. The office defends its annual budget requests before the House Armed Services Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee. Major cost drivers have included the development of the Autonomic Logistics Information System and engine modernization efforts. The office manages the annual procurement of aircraft through multi-year block buys negotiated with Lockheed Martin, aiming to reduce the Flyaway cost per variant as outlined in the Business Case for the program.

Challenges and controversies

The program has faced significant scrutiny over Cost overruns, schedule delays, and technical deficiencies identified in reports by the Government Accountability Office and the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation. Major issues have included software stability, the durability of the F-35B's Rolls-Royce LiftSystem, and limitations in the Helmet Mounted Display System. The TR-3 hardware and Block 4 software upgrades have experienced delays, impacting delivery schedules. Other controversies involve sustainment costs, disputes over Performance Based Logistics contracts, and cybersecurity vulnerabilities assessed by the Defense Information Systems Agency. Category:United States Department of Defense agencies Category:Military acquisition