Last month Lockheed Martin chose Smiths Aerospace and Eaton Aerospace to participate in testing the F-35 JSF program’s approach to performance-based logistics (PBL) during the first phase of low-rate initial production of the multi-role stealth aircraft. The U.S. Department of Defense selected the F-35 as a candidate pilot program in 2004 to test revised contracting, budgeting and financing processes for PBL agreements.

PBL is a management approach that assigns specific roles and responsibilities to ensure a clear allocation of accountability. Under PBL, the JSF program office and the Lockheed Martin-led team, which includes Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems, entered a long-term agreement where the JSF industrial base is given incentives, and is empowered, to meet performance requirements to improve support while reducing ownership costs.

Smiths has experience supporting fielded hardware using the PBL concept. Likewise, Eaton Aerospace has expertise in modeling, data mining, prognostics and health management, as well as experience in managing a PBL program.

The F-35 is designed to replace the AV-8B Harrier, A-10, F-16, F/A-18 Hornet and the UK’s Harrier GR.7 and Sea Harri