Department Of Defense Trying To Preserve Delivery Schedule For Operational Aircraft

The Department of Defense (DOD) will not conduct a series of tests on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in order to have a better chance of delivering an operational system on time, according to the Pentagon's Director of Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E)

According to the document, in April, the program accepted a DOT&E recommendation that the Block 2B Operational Utility Evaluation (OUE), which was being planned for CY15, should not be conducted and that instead, resources should be focused on conducting limited assessments of Block 2B capability and re-allocated to assist in the completion of development and testing of Block 3i and Block 3F capabilities.

This recommendation was based on DOT&E’s review of Block 2B progress and assessment of the program’s ability to start the Block 2B OUE as planned without creating a significant impact to Block 3F development. The Program Office, JSF Operational Test Team, and Service representatives then began working to “re-scope” use of operational test aircraft and operational test activities in lieu of the OUE—detailed planning is still under development.

The scope of the operational test activities will be limited until the flight restrictions induced by the engine failure are removed from the operational test aircraft. Availability of the operational test aircraft will continue to be affected in CY15 and CY16 by the depot time required for modifications.

The 30-page document contains eight recommendations for prime contractor Lockheed Martin, including updating the program schedules to reflect the start of spin-up training for Initial Operational Test & Evaluation (IOT&E) to occur no earlier than the operational test readiness review planned for November 2017, and the associated start of IOT&E six months later, in May 2018.

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