The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is the most successful fifth-generation multirole stealth fighter in the world. More than 1,000 aircraft have been delivered to customers – and the “Joint Strike Fighter” is produced in three unique variants, operated by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Navy, as well as with 19 other nations around the world.
More than 500 will be in service in Europe – with NATO allies and regional partners – while it is also been adopted by Israel, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore.
Its “success” has come at a steep price, as the F-35 is also the most expensive fighter aircraft ever produced. It is also a complicated warbird to maintain, and its Technology Refresh-3 – a major software/hardware update – was delayed for a year. Even now, only a truncated version is being used, meaning fighters now in service will need to be upgraded to remain combat-effective.
Watchdog groups, including the Government Accountability Office (GAO), have warned that the delays with the TR-3 made the fighter less capable than advertised.
The fiscal year 2025 (FY25) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has reduced the U.S. military’s F-35 Lightning II orders from 68 to 58, citing unresolved issues with the TR-3 software/hardware upgrade.
Under the FY25 NDAA, the Air Force will receive 30 F-35As, the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant; while the United States Marine Corps will get nine F-35Bs, the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) models; and finally, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps would receive a total of nine F-35Cs, the carrier-based versions.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) originally called for the services to receive 42 F-35As, 13 F-35Bs, and an additional 13 F-35Cs.
Digital Twinning Options
To address some of these issues, the Air Force Research Laboratory and the F-35 Joint Program Office are set to open a new facility that could implement commercial digital engineering best practices, National Defense first reported.
AFRL and the JPO will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Micro-Electronics Digital Engineering Infrastructure at the lab’s Defense Department Supercomputing Resource Center on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (AFB), OH.
The new facility, part of a $70 million investment from the JPO, will allow for the use of “digital twinning” of the fifth-generation jet fighter.
As management consulting firm McKinsey & Company explained, “A digital twin is a digital replica of a physical object, person, system, or process, contextualized in a digital version of its environment. Digital twins can help many kinds of organizations simulate real situations and their outcomes, ultimately allowing them to make better decisions.”
In addition, such a digital twin would be linked to real data sources, which means that the twin can also update to reflect changes to the original.
“Digital twins also comprise a layer of behavioral insights and visualizations derived from data,” McKinsey added. “When interconnected within one system, digital twins can create a digital and often immersive environment that replicates and connects every aspect of an organization to optimize simulations, scenario planning, and decision making.”
The new facility won’t be limited to the F-35, however, and according to AFRL will support U.S. Navy programs, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the Defense Department’s Microelectronics Commons program.
“By leveraging these cutting-edge technologies, AFRL aims to streamline development processes, enhance operational efficiency and ensure a lasting technological edge for the U.S. military,” the AFRL explained in a statement.
Digital twinning could aid the F-35 program, but it still has shortcomings technology industry Roger Entner of Recon Analytics told ClearanceJobs.
“Digital twins allow much faster and more in-depth analysis,” Entner explained, “But are only as good as the model, AI and compute power behind it.”
