Come hear what Mr. Tom Burbage, the executive vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) team, has to say about global supplier network challenges. He is currently responsible for JSF program integration, from teaming arrangements with Lockheed Martin’s JSF partners and customer program activities in Washington, DC, to international customer support and advocacy within the partnership. Prior to Burbage’s current role, he oversaw the completion of the Concept Demonstration Phase and the X-35 flight-test program, as well as the execution of F-35 program start-up activities that supported engineering and manufacturing. "The JSF program is passing through the 'eye of the needle,' moving from development into production and from one aircraft per month today to 20 per month—in less than seven years,” explained Burbage. “All the while, we will be accelerating production, and with that comes an ever-increasing demand on our suppliers, which will be a major challenge for the program." The JSF program began in November 1995 when Lockheed Martin received one of two JSF Concept Demonstration contracts awarded by the Department of Defense (DoD). Flight tests for the first of the two X-35 demonstrator aircraft began in October 2000, with flight evaluations continuing throughout the summer of 2001. Today, Lockheed Martin has three variations of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. These include conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) for the U.S. Air Force, a carrier variant (CV) for the U.S. Navy and a short take-off/vertical landing (STOVL) for the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.K. Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. Burbage began his successful career at Lockheed Martin in 1980 after serving as a naval aviator and test pilot. In 1987, he was appointed as vice president of the company’s Washington operation, followed by an appointment to vice president of business development and product support in 1992. Later in his career, he served as vice president and general manager of the F-22 program and president of the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Georgia. |
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