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 Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.