F-35 Lightning II Training Systems

Blistering speeds, superior stealth capability, unmatched power and flexibility. The F-35 Lightning II captures the cutting-edge technology of tomorrow. The lucky few who will fly and maintain these 5th generation strike fighters will first have to master the necessary skills. Lockheed Martin recognizes that the students in need of training are just as complex as the machines themselves. These pilots and maintainers require a training solution that encompasses every aspect of their education.

The F-35 Lightning II Pilot and Maintenance Training systems are designed to blend together a variety of training media to create a total training solution for the state-of-the-art F-35 weapon system.

Pilot Training System ___

Pilots begin their training in classrooms with training aids and interactive courseware to learn basic skills, switchology and fundamental procedures. Pilots then progress to the F-35 Full Mission Simulator with a 360-degree visual display system, which accurately replicates all sensors and weapons employment and uses the same software as the aircraft. The Full Mission Simulator cockpit can be reconfigured to support training on all three F-35 variants. Pilots complete roughly half of initial qualification flights in the Full Mission Simulator for affordability and effectiveness. After graduation, pilots remain in a continuous learning environment with access to training courseware, applications and mission rehearsal trainers to increase skill proficiency and combat readiness. The F-35 Training System supports continuation, upgrade and mission rehearsal training for qualified F-35 pilots. Due to the high fidelity of the F-35 Full Mission Simulator, some units are performing nearly a 50/50 training split between the aircraft and the simulator for affordability.

Pilots can train on three types of training devices – the Full Mission Simulator being the primary, high-fidelity device. The Deployable Mission Rehearsal Trainer (DMRT) is designed to be placed aboard aircraft carriers and deployed to austere sites to achieve continuation and mission rehearsal training. The Mission Rehearsal Trainer (MRT) is a small-footprint trainer that shares the common hardware/software design as the FMS, with a limited visual system.

High-fidelity full mission simulators

Interactive courseware

Desktop pilot training aids

Mission rehearsal trainers

F-35 Maintenance Training ___

A library of high-fidelity maintenance trainers is bringing legacy learning processes into the 21st Century, allowing F-35 maintainers to garner a holistic overview of their duties and gain hands-on experience doing critical tasks that aren’t readily available using live airplanes. Maintenance Training technology that didn’t exist a decade ago is now developed, tested and validated for the entire F-35 enterprise. The F-35 maintenance training suite includes the aircraft system maintenance trainer, which helps achieve the majority of training for initial qualification. A suite of realistic hands-on specialty trainers enable technicians to practice loading weapons, servicing the ejection seat, maintaining landing gear and more. Across all maintainer disciplines, majority of the training occurs during computer-based courses and hands-on exercises with simulators, freeing up live aircraft for flying.