F-35 manufacturing company: New contract will reduce the cost of an hour of flight of a fighter to 25 thousand dollars

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The representative of the management of the American company Lockheed Martin Ken Merchant said that the company had sent a new proposal to the Pentagon to conclude a contract for the logistics of F-35 fighters. According to Ken Merchant, the contract will improve the availability of spare parts, reduce repair times and reduce the cost of an hour of flight.

Today, the situation with the provision of fifth generation F-35 fighters with spare parts and software updates is not easy. The fact is that in the United States there is a special logistics system, which, allegedly, with the help of artificial intelligence, builds supply chains for spare parts, equipment, etc. The US Air Force cites many examples when, when ordering certain spare parts for a fighter jet, the logistics system gave the result of an approximate expectation of deliveries of several decades.



In such a situation, it came to printing some components on a 3D printer by the military themselves. This caused outrage at Lockheed Martin, where they said that if this happened again, they would remove the aircraft from warranty. In response, there were claims to Lockheed Martin from the military, which demanded to establish a normal scheme for the supply of components after ordering those.

And instead of rectifying the situation under the existing contracts, the said company offers the military department a new contract. Accordingly, we are talking about new expenditures from the budget, although LM claims that new expenditures “may not be required”.

According to a representative of the company's management, the new contract will ultimately "save on the operation of aircraft."

Ken Merchant from the F-35 manufacturing company:

By 2025, the cost of an F-35A flight per hour will be reduced to $ 25. Today it is 36 thousand dollars. The contract will cut costs by almost a third.

A Lockheed Martin spokesman says this will be possible due to the change in logistics. The company is going to create several additional resource centers with spare parts stored there, so that time is not wasted waiting for them and, accordingly, the downtime of aircraft. The company also intends to transfer the license for servicing certain F-35 systems to Pentagon military technicians.
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    1. 0
      25 February 2021 07: 05
      With Ali Express, spare parts will be ordered bully
      1. 0
        25 February 2021 07: 32
        According to Ken Merchant, this contract will increase the availability of spare parts, reduce repair times and reduce the cost of an hour of flight.

        For such babos and not so much to say
    2. +6
      25 February 2021 07: 05
      You need to deposit more money now, so that you can pay less money later, maybe!
      1. +3
        25 February 2021 07: 33
        Quote: Vladimir_2U
        to pay less money later, maybe!

        But it is not exactly laughing
        1. 0
          25 February 2021 07: 36
          To sell unnecessary, you need to buy unnecessary, but they have money)) :)
        2. -5
          25 February 2021 08: 10
          This is how the "flying penguin and wunderwolf" gradually ends into a beautiful swan. The future of tactical aviation is the combination of the F-35 with the latest modification of the F-15EX. They complement each other perfectly.
          1. +3
            25 February 2021 10: 26
            This is how the "flying penguin and wunderwolf" gradually ends into a beautiful swan.
            и Вwere you given?
    3. 0
      25 February 2021 07: 13
      They will give the right to produce spare parts to the Chinese, they will make cheap and low-quality hack, there is no other way to reduce the REALLY cost of spare parts and service! If components are produced all over the world, would their manufacturers want to receive less for their work?
      1. -2
        25 February 2021 08: 03
        Lord, that's enough to write nonsense about bad Chinese spare parts! They do what they are paid to do. If you want quality - pay a lot as you should, if you want cheap - don't complain that metal is shit. The problem with China is only that alloy compositions cannot be stolen and certain technologies.
      2. +2
        25 February 2021 08: 12
        Will give the right to produce spare parts to the Chinese,

        It is unlikely
    4. +1
      25 February 2021 07: 26
      Urrrya! Shampoo can be opened ?!
      It took you stratospheric balloons 20 years and about 5 annual budgets of the Russian Federation to understand. that an in-line flop project, in which there are 7 to 8 hundred design flaws - can never even be brought to mind in theory - so you wind it up. Just now. Although this is understandable to any techie right away.
      PiSi: by the way, you sang songs there at one time, that the F-35 will be cheaper than the single-engine F-16. How did it work? Well, good luck with flying time, in 5 years you will again sing that now the goal is to reduce it to 50 thousand per hour, and when flying without weapons.
      1. -1
        25 February 2021 07: 35
        I am a representative of Lockheed Martin, we can reduce the cost of the flight if you bring us another 50 million
    5. The comment was deleted.
    6. 0
      25 February 2021 07: 37
      The US Air Force cites many examples when, when ordering certain spare parts for a fighter jet, the logistics system gave the result of an approximate expectation of deliveries of several decades.

      laughing Artificial intelligence is power!
      And instead of rectifying the situation under the existing contracts, the said company offers the military department a new contract. Accordingly, we are talking about new expenditures from the budget, although LM claims that new expenditures “may not be required”.

      Some nonsense. If expenses are not needed, then this can be done within the framework of existing contracts, if necessary, by concluding some additional documents regulating a new procedure for interaction with the supplier. If a new contract means new expenses.
      It is not for nothing that the Air Force is in favor of curtailing the supply of F-35s (limiting them to a certain number, EMNIP to 1000 vehicles), oh, not in vain ...
      1. +4
        25 February 2021 07: 44
        On the F-35, the Americans are trying for the first time to introduce an automated system for servicing and ordering spare parts.
        1. +1
          25 February 2021 08: 11
          Quote: Avior
          On the F-35, the Americans are trying for the first time to introduce an automated system for servicing and ordering spare parts.

          With a predictable outcome. Like the bulk of ERP systems, it performs 25% of its functionality three times more expensive than it was originally planned for 100% of the system's work ... The whole variety of conceivable and unthinkable critical errors is attached free of charge laughing
          1. +1
            25 February 2021 09: 06
            I know that in some pharmacies this is how the system works, with automated dispensing of drugs from the storage area and automatic accounting of warehouse stocks and automatic generation of requests for replenishment of stocks.
            It works pretty well, I had to face it.
            1. +1
              25 February 2021 09: 15
              Quote: Avior
              I know that in some pharmacies this is how the system works, with automated dispensing of drugs from the storage area and automatic accounting of warehouse stocks and automatic generation of requests for replenishment of stocks.

              There is such a thing. But this is about a hundredth of what the American system should do, which manages not only the remains of the warehouse, but also the demand (for scheduled repairs) and production (which is why it counts tens of years of waiting for this or that part).
              At one time, I came across interesting statistics - about 40% of foreign companies that successfully implemented corporate information systems worsened their performance indicators, since the benefits of corporate information systems did not offset the costs of its implementation and maintenance.
              1. +1
                25 February 2021 09: 30
                Yes, this is real when automation is a fashion statement, and not a real need.
                Let's see how it will work further.
                I remembered that there are also elements on cars when there is a message that it is time to change the oil and so on.
                1. +1
                  25 February 2021 09: 42
                  Quote: Avior
                  Yes, this is real when automation is a fashion statement, and not a real need.

                  Personally, my experience with ERP unambiguously testifies that such automation should be taken when you have improved your planning and control system to complete amazement, and it is simply impossible for you to develop further without ERP. That is, everything works cool, and in order to make it even cooler, you already need a program, you can't do without it.
                  Alas, the opposite usually happens "We have a complete mess here, but we will clean it up with ERP!"
                  1. +1
                    25 February 2021 09: 52
                    In pharmacies, as far as I understand, the range of goods is large, and the withdrawal of balances for inventory control is a certain problem due to the level of labor costs.
                    In addition, the automation of the issue allows to ensure high-quality storage, and the automation of the issue automatically adjusts the accounting of storage, and to it, the formation of the order. Apparently, it is beneficial where there are conditions for this.
                    Well, good work algorithms require you to test them first in a manual version, in this matter you are right.
      2. +1
        25 February 2021 21: 04
        "If a new contract means new expenses." ///
        ---
        Is this an economist's opinion? laughing a lot becomes clear ..
        We are happy: if a new contract means new INCOME.
        New income means new investments in logistics optimization means
        cost reduction.
        1. 0
          26 February 2021 07: 06
          Don't worry so much about the F-35 :)))
          Quote: voyaka uh
          We are happy: if a new contract means new INCOME.

          It makes no difference to me what you are happy about, I spoke about a specific phrase
          Accordingly, we are talking about new expenses from the budget, although LM claims that new expenses "may not be required."

          And I wrote
          If costs are not needed, then this can be done within the framework of existing contracts, if necessary - by concluding some additional documents regulating a new procedure for interaction with the supplier. If a new contract means new expenses.

          What is not clear? Or can't you write a comment without jerking?
          Quote: voyaka uh
          New income means new investments in logistics optimization means
          cost reduction.

          Aha schazzz ....
          Yes, investments can optimize costs. When they're heading to cost-cutting activities. But here we have just the opposite - we are talking about finalizing the CORRECTNESS of the software product, and about creating new resource centers with spare parts warehouses. This does not reduce operating costs, but increases them.
          But yes. F-35 will receive service faster
      3. +1
        27 February 2021 02: 26
        Quote: Andrey from Chelyabinsk
        Artificial intelligence is power!


        No artificial intelligence has been announced for this system.
    7. 0
      25 February 2021 07: 44
      According to Ken Merchant, this contract will increase the availability of spare parts, reduce repair times and reduce the cost of an hour of flight.

      Those. want to save money, buy more and more ..... iron logic!
    8. -4
      25 February 2021 07: 47
      A terrible noise from the sawmill comes, even from across the ocean we can hear it.
    9. 0
      25 February 2021 07: 59
      And these people came up with PBL?
    10. 0
      25 February 2021 08: 18
      A couple of years ago, on Trump's patriotism, one of the American IT companies decided to return production to America. So they didn’t bring micromets to iPhones, but M 10 bolts, and then a penguin 35. There are more spare parts, and no one canceled the “broken phone”.
    11. 0
      25 February 2021 08: 23
      Fine. Another contract with an investment in ochrinellion dollars to reduce operating costs. Well done.
    12. 0
      25 February 2021 08: 31
      Only 25 thousand ?! Come on, guys, it's cheaper! laughing
    13. 0
      25 February 2021 08: 49
      Very important: Was this Lockheed-Martin statement BEFORE General Brown (US Air Force) and the Forbes article, or after?
    14. -1
      25 February 2021 09: 28
      The company is going to create several additional resource centers with spare parts stored there.

      !
      It is strange that there are still no such centers.
      Usually, the supply is negotiated even before the delivery of equipment.
      For a batch of equipment with a high degree of readiness, regional warehouses are created even before the start of operation - especially for military equipment.
      1. +2
        25 February 2021 21: 23
        It is very expensive. For this, software was created, which is flexible on line! -
        reading data from each aircraft - calculated the release of spare parts.
        But aircraft sensors are "buggy", and hence the AI ​​software is buggy.
        They are trying to do the same thing in the automotive industry. And in others
        industries. Forecasting is a young industry in IT
    15. 0
      25 February 2021 16: 19
      We bet it won't work? Inflation...

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