Engineers at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. in Fort Worth, Texas, needed software to manage the design of their F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. They found a solution in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions from IBM and Dassault Systemes in Paris.

The F-35 JSF is a fifth-generation multi-role, supersonic, stealth aircraft for the United States, United Kingdom, and U.S. allies worldwide. It is to replace the AV-8B Harrier jump jet, A-10 close-air-support jet, F-16 fighter, F/A-18 Hornet fighter-bomber, and the United Kingdom’s Harrier GR7 and Sea Harrier jump jets.

Lockheed Martin decided to migrate by February 2006 from CATIA V4 to CATIA V5 for product development, and to DELMIA for manufacturing simulation, both IBM PLM solutions developed by Dassault Systemes. This will enable its teams to benefit from long-term cost savings and efficiencies at the enterprise level, including in the maintenance phase.

CATIA V5 will deliver the F-35 team improved design-cycle efficiencies, enhanced confidence in the design with embedded manufacturing and design knowledge, and long-term supplier and IT compatibility.

Dassault Systemes offers integrated PLM solutions for product development (CATIA, DELMIA, ENOVIA, SMARTEAM), mainstream 3-D design tools (SolidWorks), and 3-D components (Spatial/ACIS). For more information, see www.3ds.com.