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 use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
