RAAF Links F-35 Simulators Nationwide

The Australian Department of Defence, in partnership with Lockheed Martin, connected F-35 simulators at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) bases Williamtown and Tindal via F-35's distributed mission training (DMT) network.

This establishes Australia as the first international F-35 customer to receive this capability, further enhancing global mission readiness and interoperability of the F-35 fleet.

“With distributed mission training, we’re not just connecting simulators – we’re connecting pilots and strengthening operations for 21st century security,” says Raashi Quattlebaum, vice president of F-35 Training and Logistics at Lockheed Martin. “By training together in a virtual environment, F-35 pilots can build the skills and confidence they need to dominate the skies and execute their missions.”

Lockheed Martin and the RAAF successfully connected the two sites over 2,800 km apart for distributed mission training. DMT connects F-35 simulators across borders, enabling seamless training exercises between F-35 pilots stationed across the globe. By providing large-force training capabilities, DMT allows pilots to practice complex scenarios and build the necessary skills for real-world missions.

“Establishing a distributed mission training network between RAAF bases Williamtown and Tindal provides Australia with an advanced training capability that will enhance the readiness of its pilots while reducing the sustainment costs of its 72 F-35As — the largest fleet of Joint Strike Fighters outside of the US,” says Rob Weitzman, Lockheed Martin Program Director for F-35 Australia. “Lockheed Martin has established our most significant F-35 sustainment presence outside the US in Australia, and we are proud to work with the Department of Defence and our local industry partners to deliver this record-breaking training capability milestone.”

Within the F-35 full mission simulator, pilots can engage in realistic and immersive training exercises over a secure network. This option provides a safe and efficient learning environment to try new exercises and techniques. This also allows for more repetitions of an exercise in a single training session and reduces sustainment costs for the aircraft.

Lockheed Martin is the sustainment lead for the RAAF’s F-35 fleet, partnering with local industry suppliers including Milskil to deliver pilot training solutions at RAAF bases Williamtown and Tindal. More than 75 Australian companies have shared in over AUD$5 billion in contracts to support the F-35 program through advanced manufacturing, supply chain solutions and sustainment services.

To date, the Lockheed Martin team has trained over 2,915 F-35 pilots and 18,105 F-35 maintainers, operating from 30 customer bases worldwide. By fully replicating the hardware and software of the actual aircraft in the F-35 full mission simulator, pilots can experience a seamless transition to real-world missions.