Marines Ground All F-35s At Yuma Because of ALIS Concerns

F-35 Grounding

(Source: 3d Marine Aircraft Wing; issued June 22, 2016)

For the second time in a fortnight, F-35 fighters have been grounded; this time, it’s the Marine Corps F-35Bs at Miramar air base, grounded on June 22 because the local ALIS system, without which the aircraft cannot fly, was malfunctioning. (USMC photo)

"Maj. Gen. Mark Wise, Commanding General of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, made the decision to temporarily suspend VMFA-211 flight operations pending fixes to a recent ALIS software upgrade within version 2.0.2 that has presented some anomalies.

ALIS is short for the Autonomic Logistic Information System Standard and it is the IT backbone of the F-35. ALIS is an off-board mission support system that manages operations, training, maintenance and the supply chain.

There is nothing wrong with the performance or safety of the aircraft itself, but it is imperative that we ensure the ground-based ALIS system is working properly before flight operations continue.

The Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin have dispatched system engineers to help resolve these issues associated with the ALIS software update.

The specific anomalies are related to maintenance codes not being reflected properly in the system and only affect VMFA-211 in Yuma, AZ and no other F-35 units.

The F-35B is a highly capable aircraft with an excellent test and developmental safety record."

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This latest grounding of Marine Corps F-35Bs comes very shortly after the US Air Force on June 9 grounded 55 of its F-35A, used for training at Luke air force base, also in Arizona, over hypoxia concerns.
Taken together, they show that, 16 years into its full-scale development, and two years after reaching Initial Operational Capability, these two F-35 variants are still not ready for combat, and continue to put their pilots’ lives at risk, even as prime contractor Lockheed Martin continues to tout its product, and is now lobbying for a massive, $37 billion order for 449 more aircraft.)

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Statement by SASC Chairman John McCain on Suspension of F-35B Operations at MCAS Yuma, Arizona

(Source: Senator John McCain; issued June 22, 2017)

WASHINGTON, D.C. -­– U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement today on the suspension of F-35B operations at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, Arizona:

“I was concerned to learn that the Marine Corps has suspended F-35B operations at MCAS Yuma due to problems with the aircraft’s Autonomic Logistics Information System. I am in close communication with the Marine Corps and Joint Program Office as they work to identify the root cause of these issues and resolve them as quickly as possible.”

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