Pentagon Seeking Cyber Resiliency Solutions for F-35 Lightning II

The Department of Defense is seeking information on cyber reinforcement for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.

According to a notice posted on SAM .gov, the Department of the Navy wants to ensure that the F-35 has the cybersecurity, resilience and survivability needed to secure national security and air dominance in any future conflict. Proposed technologies should be able to handle traditional cybersecurity approaches and must support air system needs, such as automated in-flight detection and response, FCW reported Thursday.

The request for information stated that modern military systems require advanced cyber threat defense systems, especially with adversaries continuing to evolve their capabilities. The F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office wants technologies that would support the aircraft’s real-time operating systems and platform information technology systems.

Industry, government and academic institutions are welcome to submit their capabilities, which should include automatic threat detection and response and cyberattack recovery. The F-35 Lightning II JPO will look at the feasibility of overall system integration, operating environment applicability and alignment to industry and DOD cyber resiliency strategies in selecting possible solutions.

The deadline for responses is March 3.

The F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation jet fighter that is developed by Lockheed Martin. It is capable of carrying multiple weapons both internally and externally and has a sensor suite that can create an integrated picture of the battlefield to improve situational awareness.

Other aircraft features include a top speed of Mach 1.6, stealth configuration, network-enabled operations and electronic warfare capabilities.