Pentagon backs F-35 infrastructure with major maintenance and software contracts

Modern stealth fighters depend on ground-level operational support to maintain peak combat readiness. While the F-35 Lightning II is best known for its flight performance, the Pentagon is actively upgrading the underlying physical facilities and digital infrastructure that sustain the fleet. Minneapolis-based M.A. Mortenson Co. won a $218.65 million contract to design and build a two-story depot maintenance complex at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. The new building will support maintenance and depot operations for both F-35 fighter jets and T-7A trainer aircraft. These defence initiatives combine major facility construction projects with comprehensive software changes to streamline mission planning and fleet maintenance. Construction is scheduled for completion by August 13, 2029, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has already committed $100 million in fiscal 2026 funds. “Work will be performed in Hill Air Force Base, Utah, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 13, 2029. Fiscal 2026 military construction, Army funds in the amount of $100,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento, California,” stated the US Department of War in an official release. Behind the stealth fighter Meanwhile, out in the California desert, the U.S. Navy is plotting a major software transformation. The Naval Air Warfare Centrutae Weapons Division in China Lake is readying a five-year engineering support contract worth up to $100 million for the ARCHER program — short for Advanced Requirements Characterisation, Engineering and Representation. ARCHER targets the F-35’s Mission Planning Environment. This is the ground-based software ecosystem where pilots plug in flight routes, process threat intelligence, and configure target parameters before uploading the data into the jet. Building hardware is Lockheed Martin‘s job, but managing the program office’s requirements takes specialised oversight. The Navy wants dedicated systems engineering to guide this software redesign, and it plans to award a single-award, cost-plus-fixed-fee deal running from May 2027 through May 2032. Digital F-35 modernization The upcoming contract serves as a direct follow-on to work currently handled by Computer Systems Centre Inc., a small business in Virginia whose existing $49.3 million deal wraps up in mid-2027. Although the Navy initially intended to grant the follow-on contract on a sole-source basis, it recently published a sources sought notice to evaluate other interested options. The service is exploring whether another qualified small business possesses the capacity to manage the estimated 278,800 labor hours and satisfy the strict “Top Secret security clearance requirements” for the project. The F-35 uses off-board ground systems to manage flight operations, maintenance, and sortie logistics. Redesigning the mission planning software aligns with the military’s broader push to modernise these ground networks, working alongside ODIN (Operational Data Integrated Network) to fix technical issues left behind by the troubled legacy ALIS system. This overhaul ensures ground computers can swiftly process flight data and keep up with the demands of modern combat. It is a reminder that modern air power requires more than just skilled aviators. Behind every stealth sortie sits a web of ground support, architectural software, and heavy-duty maintenance hangars keeping the nation’s most expensive weapons system ready for flight. Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Mrigakshi is a science journalist who enjoys writing about space exploration, biology, and technological innovations. Her work has been featured in well-known publications including Nature India, Supercluster, The Weather Channel and Astronomy magazine. If you have pitches in mind, please do not hesitate to email her.