The Lightning Delivery Team (LDT) was asked to deliver an affordable, capable, safe and sustainable Lightning Air System to satisfy the agreed Defence performance, time and cost objectives whilst maintaining UK Freedom of Action principles
The Lightning Delivery Team (LDT) was asked to deliver an affordable, capable, safe and sustainable Lightning Air System to satisfy the agreed Defence performance, time and cost objectives whilst maintaining UK Freedom of Action principles. This was to be achieved through intelligent F-35 program influence, stronger stakeholder engagement and innovation to deliver a cutting-edge combat platform into the hands of the Lightning Force.
The team included civilians, military personnel and contractors who are situated within the air domain, primarily located at MoD Abbey Wood, RAF Marham and Arlington, Virginia (in addition to several other US sites).
The initial contract begun on 14th February 2022 and was for six months. However, it has since been extended, with the current extension until 31st March 2025.
The Lightning F35-B is the most advanced fighter jet in the world; a powerful, fifth-generation stealth aircraft flown by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. Sensor fusion and data-linking provides the pilot with unprecedented situational awareness, whilst minimising detection in hostile environments. It provides the UK with a world-leading survivable, sustainable, expeditionary air capability.
The initial six-month contract with the Lightning Delivery Team was to update their Information Support Plan (ISP). The ISP is contract between Defence Digital (DD) and the LDT as to what DD will deliver in the year for the LDT.
However, it quickly became apparent that they required an individual to unpick the complicated process to migrate all the required Lightning applications to defence networks. Up stepped Marc Doney; a former RAF Wing Commander Communications Engineer now working for us here at Inzpire.
Marc was ideally placed to support this task and, due to our flexibility, the role has now morphed from ISP updating to also become a troubleshooter for any issues in migrating applications and peripherals to DD networks.
We provided the flexibility within the contract to enable Marc to not only update the ISP, but also to support this migration of applications from standalone laptops to the DD network.
Since 2017 up until 2022, all applications required by the Lightning Force were managed on standalone laptops. This is because the LDT could not penetrate the complex processes to migrate the applications and peripherals to the MoD core network.
After we were appointed, we have directly enabled the successful migration of eight applications and three peripherals since the contract begun. What’s more, we’re also now supporting the transition of its major logistics system ALIS to its replacement operational data integrated network (ODIN).
As these applications are now on MoDNet, the standalone laptops have been reduced to the absolute minimum. This in turn has reduced the maintenance burden on the Lightning Force, as well as reduced the security threat from having unpatched laptops accessing the internet.
Marc’s knowledge and experience has been invaluable in delivering the required network solutions for the F-35 programme. He has excellent stakeholder management skills, which have been necessary across a diverse and complex IS/IT community and has enabled him to deliver the outcomes required. He has consistently delivered a very good performance throughout his time with the Lighting Delivery Team.
To find out more information, please contact Marc at Marc.Doney971@mod.gov.uk.
