Home Air US Air Force completes first phase of new F-35 logistics system rollout

US Air Force completes first phase of new F-35 logistics system rollout

F-35
An F-35A Lightning II pilot prepares for a flight at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, July 30, 2020. Photo: US Air Force

The US Air Force says it has completed the first phase of its transition from the troubled Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) to the modernized F-35 Operational Data Integrated Network (ODIN) logistics information system.

According to an Air Force statement from February 1, the F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin completed the fielding of the the first 14 sets of new ODIN hardware to F-35 squadrons in January this year.

Beginning in July 2021, personnel from the JPO, Lockheed Martin, and local squadron crews installed the new computer hardware, called the ODIN Base Kit (OBK), at sites in the United States and in Europe. This completes the initial phase of ODIN hardware rollout, replacing all first-generation unclassified ALIS servers in the field.

ODIN is the planned replacement for ALIS, which failed to overcome issues related to long boot and update times and had trouble managing spare parts deliveries alongside poor inventory management.

In addition to US bases, Odin was introduced at Amendola Air Base in Italy and the Portsmouth Naval Base in the UK.

The Air Force also noted that two of the three OBKs installed in December 2021 at Edwards Air Force Base support US-based test operations for the United Kingdom and for the Netherlands.

“Recent global OBK installations mark a major milestone in modernizing the F-35 logistics information systems in support of global operations,” stated F-35 Program Executive Officer, Lt. Gen. Eric Fick. “This was a team effort between the Department of Defense, defense industry, and our F-35 Partners, and is a giant step forward in support of international logistics and operational management of the global and expanding F-35 fleet.”

In addition to the 14 OBKs deployed as part of this effort there is one supporting the United States Marine Corps test squadron VMX-1 at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, Arizona; and another supporting the F-35 Integrated Test Force’s (ITF) flight test operations based at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.

OBKs are now in use by all three US services that operate the F-35 – Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. The new hardware is supporting operating squadrons, training squadrons, and test and evaluation squadrons.

The Air Force added that additional OBK units are set to be delivered in 2022 as the F-35 program’s global logistics infrastructure continues to expand.

“This new server hardware has proven to be a valuable successor to the aging ALIS system hardware, one that offers a significant performance upgrade, at lower cost, and in a readily supportable package,” said Air Force Col. Dan Smith, JPO maintenance systems program manager charged with overseeing ALIS and ODIN. “OBK allows us to replace hardware before obsolescence issues become critical and it allows us to provide better service to the maintainers.”

Compared to ALIS, the new ODIN hardware is 75 percent smaller and lighter than previous hardware and was procured at nearly 30 percent lower cost. The new OBK unit is designed to run both ALIS software, as well as future ODIN software applications.

“We’re excited about the improvements ushered in by the ODIN Base Kit in 2021 and look forward to outfitting the entire fleet with this enhanced capability as schedules and funding permit. OBK feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and will save our F-35 maintainers time and operating costs throughout the maintenance lifecycle,” said Smith.