Another Aspect of F-35 Culture Change: Building Out the Cameri Facility

11/03/2013
2013-11-03 By Robbin Laird During my visit to Cameri in October 2013, I had a chance to visit the Cameri facility with Fred Napurano, the Italian Program In-Country Operations Lead for Lockheed Martin. Napurano is the key person interacting with Alenia Aermacchi (AAeM) to assist in the standup of the facility. The…

The Italian Way of Procuring the F-35: Shaping a European Base for the Global Fleet

11/01/2013
2013-11-01 By Robbin Laird During my trip to Italy in October 2013, I was able to spend two days at the Cameri F-35 facilities and to then discuss my visit with two senior Italian Air Force officials, intimately familiar with the program and the Cameri effort. I sat down with Lt.…

Building Out an F-35 Fleet Sustainment Center in Italy

11/01/2013
2013-11-01 By Robbin Laird During my October 2013 visit to Italy, I spent two days at the Cameri F-35 facility. While there, I had a chance to discuss the facility and the approach of the Italians with Debra Palmer, Lockheed Martin’s General Manager at the facility. Palmer comes from a military…

The Impact of Advanced Fusion in 5th Generation Fighters on Combat Capability

10/30/2013
2013-10-30 by Michael Skaff, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company When Col John Boyd documented the concept of the Observe-Orient-Decide-Act (OODA) loop as it pertains to tactical aviation and the energy maneuverability egg it was in an era when fighter physical performance was the dominant factor. Although there were simple fire control radars…

An Update from Cameri on the Cameri F-35 Campus: October 2013

10/30/2013
2013-10-30 By Robbin Laird During a visit with Ed Timperlake at Yuma USMC Air Station and then at the Lockheed Martin Fort Worth F-35 facility, Ed and I had a chance to discuss the Cameri F-35 effort with two young Lockheed Martin Aero officials involved in that effort. We sat down…

First F-35 Fuselage Delivered to Cameri

10/29/2013
2013-10-29 In a July 23, 2013, press release from Northrop Grumman, the delivery of the first NG fuselage to Italy was highlighted. Northrop Grumman Corporation delivered the center fuselage for Italy's first F-35 Lightning II to the newly commissioned Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility at Italy's Cameri Air…

Assembly Plant of the Year Award to Northop Grumman F-35 Facility

10/29/2013
2013-10-29 In a Northrop Grumman news release, the role of a key plant in producing the center fuselage's for the F-35 is discussed. Northrop Grumman Corporation's  F-35 Integrated Assembly Line (IAL) was named "Assembly Plant of the Year" by Assembly Magazine in recognition for the facility's world-class processes to reduce…