GROWING THE FRONT LINE WITH NEXT GENERATION TECHNOLOGY
F-35 training courses with 617 Squadron. The ITC, which is one of three buildings Lockheed Martin is delivering at RAF Marham, contains four F-35 Full Mission Simulators (FMS), two Deployable Mission Readiness Trainers (DMRT) and several maintenance trainers, all designed and delivered by Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin fully supports the vision to increase the utilisation of simulation in the training of F-35 aircrew and maintainers. The inherent capabilities of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Full Mission Simulators at RAF Marham will allow UK aircrew to exercise the full spectrum of operational tasks and F-35 capabilities in a virtual distributed environment, while maintaining operational security. Training complex tasks and maintaining proficiency in this way will optimise the balance between live and virtual training, delivering increasing levels of affordability. The capabilities of modern simulation in Lockheed Martin’s training systems is now enabling F-35 customers to execute up to 50% of training tasks in the synthetic environment. The innovation in learning is just as apparent for maintenance professionals – technology that
did not exist 12 years ago is now fully developed, tested and validated, and we are training maintainers differently to how we did on legacy fighters. New maintenance training devices are enabling students to train on tasks difficult to practise solely in a live environment, ultimately producing more well-rounded maintainers that drive better outcomes for their units. A majority of the F-35 maintenance training is completed virtually in the Aircraft Systems Maintenance Trainer (ASMT), helping reduce the inefficiencies of using live aircraft for maintenance training. In addition, there is a variety of other devices specifically designed to train the full complement of maintenance tasks, including loading weapons, maintaining the egress system and landing gear, and more. It is incredibly humbling and rewarding to see the partnership between Lockheed Martin and the UK drive positive results for our respective and joint forces. As we celebrate the RAF’s Centenary year, seeing the fundamentals of flight training paired with the readying for the all-important F-35 mission makes 2018 a truly significant and special time to be a part of UK air power.
Four Lockheed Martin Full Mission Simulators are revolutionising pilot training at RAF Marham (PHOTO: LOCKHEED MARTIN AERONAUTICS)
BUILDING THE NEXT GENERATION AIR FORCE AIR POWER 2018
75