Aeronautics Star, Volume 6, Number 1, January/February 2005 Page: 5 of 8
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Air Mobility Program set to perform on commitments
Q: What are your top three priorities for
2005?
A: This year, Air Mobility must execute
against the existing programs, continue to
grow the air mobility line of business and
develop our employees.
We made good progress in 2004 meeting
customer commitments, and that is critical
for continuing to build upon our foundation.
We must focus on quality-not only to meet
customer expectations but to uphold our
reputation for our signature quality products.
Our quality is what we stand for, and it is the
foundation upon which we continue to sell
our products internationally. We must stay
focused on FOD, the reduction of squawks
and repairs as we produce a product and our
continued performance.
The key to growing the Air Mobility line
of business is ensuring that we demonstrate
to our customer that this is a critical part of
LM Aero's business and that we are interested
in growing. We need to continue to support
our customers.
And our employees are what make this
place tick. As the need arises, we want to
give people an opportunity to have exposure
on different programs - maybe in programs
or areas they haven't necessarily worked
on before. That gives our employees the
opportunity to grow, and gives the company
the opportunity to diversify our programs.
Q: How do you plan to tackle these goals?
A: Part of our job is making sure that we
have the right tools and processes in place
and they are smart for the busi-
ness that we are doing. If they are
not, then we need to continue to
evolve and improve upon them.
We need to rely on the people who
are actually using these processes
on a day-to-day basis to determinewhat we need to change in order to achieve
our goals.
And communication is key. Not only
within the company, but also at the site level
and with our customers. We have the tools
and processes in place to ensure that we
catch something as early as possible, which
gives us the ability to mitigate problems and
stay on course.
Q: What is your biggest challenge
for this year?
A: We need to ensure that we are providing
the best value to our customers.
We need to demonstrate that wha
we're pursuing is something that
we can be competitive in and that-
we're very good at.
Also, the outcome of PBD 753
(the proposed defense budget
that recommends significant cuts
to the C-130J program) will af- ,
fect our focus. The C-130J will
represent about 2/3 of our total
sales for Air Mobility Programs
in 2005, so it's very important
that we continue to maintain Ross Reyn
the program. This has become a Mobility P
high priority not only within the
company, but it's become one of the highest
priorities within the corporation. I believe
at the end of the day we're going to succeed
in getting this turned around. But it's going
to be a lot of work and something that we
have to work through during the course of
the year.
The most important thing that we can do
is perform against the work we have today.
That needs to be our focus-to continue to
provide our quality products, on schedule
and meet those commitments that we
continue to provide to the customer.Q: What are some major milestones in Air
Mobility coming up this year?
A: We have a C-130J block software upgrade
that will complete this year and go into
operational test and evaluation later this fall.
A critical C-5 milestone is completion
of our Avionics Modernization Program,
allowing us not only to continue to proceed
into our Reliability Enhancement and
Re-engining phase of the program but also
to begin the operational test and evaluation
phase later this summer.C-27J aircraft are being
olds, vice president fr Air
rog
built now, and we
will be making
an initial delivery
soon to Greece.
There is continued
international
interest in the
C-27J, as well
as domestically
with the U.S.
overnment right
row-both the
Air Force and
the Army.
Air Mobility4, ui iw ci w _t
grams Support brings
excellent oppor-
tunities for us to develop support programs
with customers who already have our
products in the field and provide engineering
technical support and other support services.
Q: Why was Air Mobility put under one
umbrella?
A: We want to send our customers a message
that this is a line of business that we are very
interested in. We wanted to align all of these
programs under one organization that reports
directly to LM Aero's president. This will
also provide us with the opportunity to
benefit from synergy across programs.
This organization will help us to grow theAir Mobility line of business, not just execute
against the work that we already have.
Q: What should be your employees'
mantra - one phrase that they should
carry with them all year?
A: Perform on our commitments. It may
sound tactical, and it may sound near-term,
but if we do not continue to perform on what
we're doing, it will limit our growth.
Q: What positive trend would you like to
see continued in Air Mobility Programs?
A: I would like to see the dedication, loyalty
and commitment of our people everywhere
I go. People really take pride in their work.
They take ownership and responsibility. We
have people working seven days a week on
12-hour shifts. If people saw this as just a
job, they wouldn't be dedicated to that level
and working that hard. We want to see our
products work, and we are really concerned
about how the customer views our products.
And when you consider that we have prod-
ucts supporting our men and women in Iraq,
it's really a testament to the commitment of
our people that they're striving to make sure
we fulfill our commitments to our customers.
Q: Where do you see Air Mobility a year
from now?
A:We've made very good progress in 2004,
and I see us continuing to execute and build
on that in 2005. We will make our aircraft
deliveries, we will meet our commitments to
our customers, and we will continue to build
on that customer satisfaction. Also, we will
continue to build and grow our employees.
Ralph Heath and I are committed to growing
our people and continuing to give them the
opportunities and challenges that will make
them the future leaders of this company.F/A-22 looking forward to Initial Operational Capability
Q:What are your three top goals for 2005?
A: In 2005 we're looking forward to a Full Rate
Production decision for the F/A-22, and as wenear Initial Operational Capability
at Langley Air Force Base in
Virginia later in the year, we'll
define our long-term sustainment
plan. One other goal that we will
work toward in 2005 is to complete
the transition from Engineering,
Manufacturing Development to
Modernization.
Q: What is your biggest challenge for this
year?A: 2005 began with a challenge with the Larry
release of the proposed budget document. We president fo
will continue to share the need for continued
air dominance in America, which can only be answered by
fielding the F/A-22 in numbers the U.S. Air Force analysisrequires - 381. We are committed to providing our
customer with the most superior fighter ever built.
Q: What positive trend/activity would you like to seecontinued on your program?
A: The men and women in the F/A-22 industry
team, including our partner companies and
suppliers, have done a marvelous job of
providing top-quality jets to our customer. I
encourage everyone associated with the F/A-22
to remain focused on that effort and build upon
our already stellar performance.
Q: What should be your employees' mantra
- one phrase that they should carry with
them all year?
A: We have as our number one priority aon, executive vice
r F/A-22responsibility to our customer, and we meet
that by keeping our commitments, pursuing excellence
and demonstrating leadership in our business. Above all,
we must always be the example in ethical behavior whileproviding a safe, inclusive environment for all employees.
One phrase - "Let's do great things in 2005!"
Q: What is the result of the IOT&E report?
A: It's a great report for the Air Force, the Raptor and
Lockheed Martin. This is another major milestone for the
F/A-22 program, as it has proven itself a truly revolutionary
aircraft. We had full confidence the Raptor would receive
high marks in the hands of the best pilots in the world. We
are proud of its performance and honored to manufacture
this multi-role fighter that will dominate any future
battlespace, changing the way our nation fights and
wins wars.
Q: Tell us how it feels to be the new executive vice
president and F/A-22 general manager?
A: I'm excited to be part of this great team. I think the F/A-22
program has a strong foundation, solid performance and
is on track for a successful future. I look forward to future
successes as we build America's air dominance.F-35: 'Accountability essential to make program work'
Q: What are your top goals for 2005? commitment, holding each other accountable and keeping in line with the program's
A: The Joint Strike Fighter Program, in accordance with our customer, has developed six Guiding Principles.
near-term strategies to help guide the team and keep the team on track Q:What should be your employees' mantra - one phrase that they should carry with
to first flight in 2006: complete replan, track to first flights, track to them all year?
air system critical design reviews, track to low-rate initial production
contract awards, finalize global sustainment concept of operations and A: The team's mantra should be to remain focused and perform both individually
improve horizontal and vertical integration and as a team. F-35 JSF is the most complex fighter program ever
undertaken. Amid such complexity, serious issues can arise with
Q:What is your biggest challenge for this year? remarkably short notice, as was so plainly demonstrated this past
A: The biggest challenge for 2005 will be performing to the commitments year. Our team's immediate response and ability to focus was
that are being defined in the re-baselining of the program. A program exemplified in the success of the STOVL weight resolution.
replan was required to ensure that the design improvements were Q:What is your major internal key message?
implemented efficiently and on a realistic timetable. In October
of 2004, the Defense Acquisition Board met and recommended A: Our internal message to the team speaks to performance.
approval of both the design upgrades and the replan. An updated Performance instills confidence and trust. Our customers
schedule resulting from the replan generally shifts program expect results and deserve our best.
milestones about one year beyond their original dates. First Q:What is your highest priority external key mes-
flight, for example, originally planned for late 2005, is now sage?
scheduled for late 2006. It is crucial that the team stay on
scheuleto eet hes shftedmilstoes.A: It is important that we convey to our external
schedule to meet these shifted milestones.
audience that the F-35 is on course to develop and
Q:What positive trend/activity would you like to see field a family of air systems to meet the needs of
continued on your program? our services and international partner countries.
A: Accountability. With a program as large and diverse as the F-35 Right: Bob Elrod, executive vice president and F-35 And additionally, that we are committed and focused on
program, accountability is essential to make this program work. Left: Tom Burbage, executive vice president and F-35 meeting their needs and strategic objectives through
With accountability, the leadership will resolve to meet every general manager for program integration disciplined performance.i t iti
'AN
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Lockheed Martin Astronautics Corporation. Aeronautics Star, Volume 6, Number 1, January/February 2005, periodical, January 2005; United States. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1023897/m1/5/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Fort Worth.