Through a “Shared Vision” partnership with Sandia, the company has incorporated a creative tool — called the Support Enterprise Model(SEM) — to provide a supply- and repair-chain process worthy of the new fighter’s nickname: “Lightning II.”
In fact, SEM is able to design, evaluate, and refine logistical support concepts for an array of aircraft and weapons systems. Recent improvements allow planners to determine which system inputs have the most impact on the system (sensitivity analysis) and how to cope with a broad range of possible conditions (uncertainties).
Given that life-cycle costs on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter alone are expected to reach into the billions of dollars, such a system can maximize the “bang for the buck” of taxpayer dollars dramatically into the future.