Better and Cheaper: Moore's Law and the F-35
The F-35 changes how procurement is done.
The F-35 joint strike fighter is getting a cheaper, more powerful computer processor supplied by Harris Corp., which recently won a competition to replace the legacy system built by Lockheed Martin’s rotary and mission systems group. Harris will introduce its next-generation Integrated Core Processor in the 15th lot of F-35s, which are set to roll off the production line in 2023, F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin stated in a news release. Lockheed selected Harris’ ICP— which processes data from the jet’s core electronics systems, to include the cockpit and helmet displays, electronic warfare system, sensors, communications gear and guidance system — in the hopes of pushing down the F-35's production and sustainment costs while increasing the aircraft’s capability.
The new processor is expected to provide 25 times more computing power at a unit cost that is 75 percent less than the current system, Lockheed estimated. Harris’ ICP will also be easier to sustain and more reliable, with an open architecture backbone that will allow the company to modify it to be more resilient against emerging threats.
Raytheon snags F-35 system business previously held by Northrop
Raytheon will supply the F-35 joint strike fighter with a new distributed aperture system after the original manufacturer, Northrop Grumman, elected not to participate in a follow on competition. The distributed aperture system or DAS is one of the joint strike fighter’s signature capabilities — fusing high-resolution videos from the jet’s six infrared cameras inside the helmet of the pilot and allowing the operator to identify and track targets in both day and night. When news articles talk about how the F-35’s helmet allows the pilot to see through the bottom of the aircraft onto the ground below, that functionality is enabled by the DAS. The F-35 DAS was originally supplied by Northrop in the form of its AN/AAQ-37 system, but Raytheon will take over the production of the DAS starting with the 15th lot of F-35 aircraft, which will start to be delivered in 2023. It appears the Raytheon system was able to make a strong showing based, in part, on its affordability. Lockheed projects that the new Raytheon DAS will:
cost $3 billion less than Northrop’s over the lifetime of the program, with an
estimated 45 percent reduction in the price per unit and
a 50 percent cut to sustainment costs. It will also provide
five times the reliability and twice the performance, Lockheed stated in a news release.
“The supply chain competition for the next generation F-35 Distributed Aperture System resulted in significant cost savings, reliability and performance improvements,” Greg Ulmer, Lockheed Martin’s vice president of the F-35 program, said in a statement. “We are aggressively pursuing cost reduction across the F-35 enterprise and this initiative is a clear demonstration of our unrelenting commitment to reduce costs and deliver transformational capabilities for the warfighter.” Lowering the hefty cost of sustaining the F-35 has been a top priority for Pentagon acquisition leaders, to include Ellen Lord, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment. “Right now, we can’t afford the sustainment costs we have on the F-35. And we’re committed to changing that,” she told reporters on Jan. 31.
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