F-35 C2D2

F-35C C2D2 is a part of the Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) budget activity for the Navy. The specific goal of this program is to develop and field an affordable, highly common family of next-generation strike aircraft for the United States Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and international partner countries. The program aims to achieve maximum commonality among the F-35 variants to minimize total air system life cycle costs. This includes planning, systems engineering, development, and testing for Block 4 and additional capabilities as part of the C2D2 acquisition strategy to maintain joint air dominance against evolving threats.

Additionally, the program focuses on continuous capability development and delivery efforts to provide incremental warfighting capability improvements. These efforts are aimed at addressing identified warfighting gaps through ongoing operational analysis and mission decomposition analysis. The program also involves modernization activities to release incremental capabilities and execute continuous development efforts as part of the C2D2 acquisition strategy. Furthermore, it provides new opportunities for international partners to assess, integrate, and field unique capabilities based on global sovereign requirements.

The program also includes specific projects such as Utility and Subsystem Support to Mission Systems (Project 0358) and Air Vehicle - Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) (Project 2553). Project 0358 focuses on upgrading the Power Thermal Management System (PTMS) and Fuel Thermal Management System (FTMS) to address increased thermal loads from new mission systems requirements. On the other hand, Project 2553 conducts post Critical Design Review (CDR) design activities to develop and deliver a TR-3 system through full flight-worthy certification and production readiness review. This includes nonrecurring engineering for the development, test, and certification of various subsystems necessary to support Block 3F functionality and incorporation of all Block 4 capabilities.

Overall, the program aims to ensure that the F-35C C2D2 continues to meet operational requirements while addressing evolving threats through continuous capability development and delivery efforts.