#1791B ACURL, F-35A and F-35B print
Description
Squadron Prints Lithograph No. 1791B - ZM148 and A35-002, F-35B Lighting and F-35A Lightning II, Austrlia - Canada - United Kingdom F-35 Reprogramming Laboratory, Eglin AFB, USA.
The Australia, Canada and United Kingdom F-35 Reprogramming Laboratory (ACURL) is the organisation that produces Mission Data Files for the F-35 aircraft operated by Australia, the UK and 17 Test and Evaluation Squadron. The Mission Data File is the ‘DNA’ of the F-35, and directly influences the jet’s ability to find, fix, and kill enemy aircraft and surface-to-air missile systems through fusion enabled combat identification. In 2014 ACURL consisted of only three personnel, and was relocated to its permanent home at Eglin AFB, Florida. The ACURL produced its first sovereign Mission Data File in 2018 which directly contributed to the declaration of Initial Operating Capability (IOC) for the UK F-35 Lightning Force. By 2019 the small initial team had expanded to over 120 personnel and moved to a purpose made Special Access Program Facility in early 2020. The ACURL permanent workforce is made-up of members from the Royal Navy (RN), Royal Air Force (RAF), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and US contract personnel. Another notable achievement during 2019 was providing a Mission Data File that enabled UK F-35 aircraft to fly combat sorties against Daesh during Operation SHADER over Iraq and Syria. The ACURL declared IOC in February 2020 through the culmination of the hard work and tenacity demonstrated by personnel not only at the ACURL, but also within the RAF Air and Space Warfare Centre, and the RAAF Air Warfare Centre. In October 2020 ACURL provided sovereign Mission Data Files to the RAAF Exercise LIGHTNING SPEAR AIM-120 weapon test at Eglin AFB, allowing Australia to declare their F-35 fleet as IOC. In 2022 ACURL will see an extension to their current building which will provide a second Validation and Verification Laboratory and state of the art training facilities. This will allow the unit to grow towards an expected 140 personnel workforce, which will support the FOC declarations of both the Australian and UK F-35 Lightning Forces in the coming years. Since IOC, ACURL has focused on agile responsive reprogramming, and increased mission effectiveness through bespoke Mission Data Files and survivability assurances. Deployed ACURL personnel have supported OP FORTIS and OP SCORPIOUS, as well multiple key strategic exercises, which has enabled the Australian and UK F-35 forces to have world-leading situational awareness, survivability and lethality effects.
You may also like
-
NAWS China Lake
165668 '201; 166642 '500'; 164549 '81'; 165210; 165763 '464'VX-31NAS China Lake, California