Flight School Next Acquisition Model Nothing New to Lockheed Martin

The U.S. Army has taken a wise and prudent step toward modernizing their Initial Entry Rotary Wing training at Fort Rucker, AL with the implementation of a commercial solutions opening (CSO) model for the Flight School Next program. Based on recent Department of War acquisition reform directives, utilizing a CSO demonstrates the U.S. Army's commitment to acquisition reform by teaming with a proven industry partner to deliver cost savings and reduce execution risk.

A CSO enables the Army to move swiftly through an acquisition process, allowing for efficiencies on both the government and industry sides. Eliminating a long list of specified requirements and permitting industry to bring holistic solutions to the defined need will yield value for money. A CSO also shifts much of the acquisition and financial risk onto industry by asking industry to make a significant investment into the required resources for mission success, allowing precious resources, both in dollars and personnel, to be reprogrammed toward other U.S. Army priorities.

While CSOs in the United States have not been heavily utilized in the past, meeting customer needs in this type of acquisition is a part of Lockheed Martin's DNA. For decades it has been fundamental to mission success in our training area of expertise.

In fact, we have partnered with customers to successfully execute turnkey training programs - such as the Australia AIR5428 Pilot Training System, the Singapore Basic Wings Course, and the United Kingdom Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS). Through these experiences we have gained a breadth and depth of lessons learned to optimize performance, improve training quality and increase safety.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) greatly benefitted from our approach to providing turnkey training solutions. Through our in-country joint venture with Babcock International, Ascent Flight Training has completely revitalized the UK MoD's training enterprise. Starting with an initial training pipeline, Ascent's operation has grown to multiple installations, providing four training programs with seven different aircraft platforms.

By using a similar CSO-like framework, our UKMFTS solution has helped rapidly modernize military aircrew training - optimizing training pipelines, increasing capacity and improving training effectiveness.

Because of our robust experience, we can offer best value for money solutions designed to meet the U.S. Army's needs. No matter the acquisition model, no matter the platform, we will deliver a proven, safe, cost-effective, technologically relevant and accelerated solution.

We understand the complex training operations are highly dependent upon sustainment and supply chain. Our solution will include a U.S. designed, built and manufactured training aircraft that is supported by a resilient U.S. supply chain. We will also bring the latest proven technologies in aviation training to the student learning experience in our Flight School Next solution.

Because we support flexible acquisition strategies, a risk-free transition into long-term services, as well as new technology insertions for modernized instruction, we ensure safety, quality, sustainability, and affordability remain at the heart of what we do.

Through our deep experience as a training systems integrator and partnering as the customer's single point of accountability to operate and refine turnkey training systems, we are ready now to take Flight School Next students from trainees to the Army aviators the U.S. Army Warfighter Concept demands.