Final Assembly and Checkout Alternatives for the Joint Strike Fighter

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Final Assembly and Checkout Alternatives for the Joint Strike Fighter

C. R. Cook / M. V. Arena / J. C. Graser / J. A. Ausink / L. S. Dixon

In October 2001, the Department of Defense (DoD) awarded a contract for System Development and Demonstration (SDD) of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) to the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company. The JSF program, which is expected to run for more than two decades and cost $300 billion, will deliver 3,002 fighter/attack aircraft to the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, as well as to the UK Ministry of Defence. The JSF will replace U.S. Air Force F-16s and A-10s and complement the F-22; complement carrier-based U.S. Navy F/A-18E/Fs; replace U.S. Marine Corps AV-8Bs and F/A-18C/Ds; and replace UK Harrier aircraft. The primary reason for developing a single aircraft with three variants to fulfill the missions of the different services was to minimize cost. The result of having a single program will be considerable commonality among the three variants (conventional takeoff and landing CTOL, carrier variant CV, and short takeoff/vertical landing STOVL). This commonality will reduce both initial procurement and ongoing life-cycle costs, relative to having three unrelated aircraft. Many companies spread across the United States and the world will be building the various components and sub assemblies of the JSF. Lockheed Martin plans to assemble the major components of the JSF and test the aircraft at its Fort Worth, Texas, plant in a process called final assembly and checkout, or FACO.