The biggest challenge on the road to the Air Force declaring F-35 initial operational capability is the delivery of the ALIS (Autonomic Logistics Information System) software, Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian, director of the Air Force’s F-35 integration office, said Monday at ASC15. Still, the Air Force isn’t backing off any of the capability requirements for IOC, he said. The software in the field right now is version 2.0.1, and the Air Force needs 2.0.2 to operationalize the planes and meet IOC requirements, said Leigh Method, Harrison’s deputy and senior advisor. ALIS, a suite of applications, covers everything from maintenance to training, flying to mission planning, she said. “It’s the timing of our software for ALIS that we’re most concerned about,” Harrigian said. “It’s crystal clear what we need for 2.0.2.,” and Lockheed Martin and the joint program office are working to deliver that, he said.
The Pentagon plans to use U.S. Air Force C-17s and C-130s to deport 5,400 people currently detained by Customs and Border Protection, officials announced Jan. 22, the first act in President Donald Trump’s sweeping promise to crack down on undocumented immigrants and increase border security.