The NIRL provides Norway and Italy F-35 mission data files used to assess what threats to search for and when, enabling the 5th generation fighter to decipher and control the battlespace.
A ceremony was held at the end of June 2019, opening the new facility.
In an article by Marian Iriarte published in December 2016, the selection of the EW simulator for the facility which is part of the new facility was highlighted:
HUNT VALLEY, Md. Lockheed Martin selected Textron Systems’ Advanced Architecture Phase Amplitude and Time Simulator (A2PATS) for simulation testing of the F-35 Lightning II electronic warfare (EW) systems. Under contract, Textron Systems engineers will provide threat simulation capability in the F-35 Norwegian, Italian Reprogramming Lab (NIRL) located at Eglin Air Force base, in support of international partners.
The F-35 NIRL will utilize the A2PATS’ unique capabilities to develop and validate aircraft software requirements. The A2PATS is an electromagnetic environment simulator incorporating electronic warfare, communications, and electronic intelligence capabilities. Its environment facilitates the testing of precision location, identification, and defensive systems against ground-based and airborne threats. It is open architecture simulator that distributes multiple RF synthesizers in a modular and expandable system.