Boeing expands Joint Strike Fighter industry team

June 14th, 1999

The Boeing Joint Strike Fighter industry team, called the 'One Team' has added twenty-five more aerospace companies in its drive to win the JSF Engineering and Manufacturing Development decision in 2001. Boeing is competing with Lockheed Martin to build the JSF for the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps and the U.K. Royal Navy and Royal Air Force under a four-year concept demonstration phase contract that includes the production and flight test of two concept demonstrators.

"Boeing and the original six members of the One Team have selected the best companies in the aerospace industry who share a commitment to building the most affordable and effective aircraft possible," said Frank Statkus, Boeing vice president and JSF general manager. "They bring unparalleled technical and management expertise to bear on our must-win goal for the EMD phase."

The new members were chosen based on their performance during the current Concept Demonstration phase of the programme. "Each one has demonstrated an ability to be innovative and a drive to implement low-cost approaches," Statkus said. "Each has pledged to develop a cooperative, team-based solution to our customers' requirements."

Boeing believes that the team arrangement allows suppliers to understand fully customer requirements and participate early enough to develop a design that is more responsive and easier to build.

"This reduces programme risk and costs by identifying needed technologies and approaches early enough to make a difference," Statkus said.

The formation of the One Team well ahead of the beginning of EMD gives all members sufficient time to implement cooperative processes and allows suppliers to commit resources based on realistic data.

To reduce costs, the team is now aligning business processes and implementing ways to improve communications. Boeing hopes to reduce oversight by using agreed-to best practices, sharing data, and sharing cost and schedule status electronically. Also, using common performance metrics and having all team members attain "preferred supplier" certification will greatly reduce the need for oversight.

New members of the expanded Boeing JSF One Team are: