Lockheed Martin F-35s are set to receive upgraded logistics systems, the manufacturer said. Its Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) has been approved for installation at U.S. Air Force and Navy F-35 sites.
The version 2.0.2 up of the ALIS completed successful flight testing. As the aircraft’s fleet management system, it reduces the cost of operations and maintenance, and increases aircraft availability. The upgrade is to be installed at all operational F-35 sites by the end of this year. It has already been supporting F-35 operations at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, since late March.
“This upgrade will allow deploying units to predict ‘what if’ scenarios inside ALIS, removing most of the manual planning that is done today,” said Reeves Valentine, VP of F-35 logistics. “ALIS 2.0.2 will allow users to forecast and make those decisions. Picking the best jets, support equipment, spare parts and personnel for the deployment and managing resources throughout their lifecycle – that type of data should ultimately translate to better aircraft availability.”
The upgrade integrates propulsion data, allowing users to manage the engine from ALIS. It improves tracking of life-limited parts and simplifies resource management for deployed operations. It also includes a network feature that makes it easier to establish connections between deployed locations and home stations.
Lockheed Martin said it expects to receive approval for fleet-wide fielding to F-35 sites for the U.S. Marine Corps in the next six weeks.