The Design of the “Raptor”

1. The Design of the “Raptor” A Case Study in Teaming Agreements

2. Overview • The F-22 Program • Teaming Concepts • The F-22 Teaming Agreement • F-22 Team Initial Actions • F-22 Teaming Issues • Conclusion

3. Introduction • Technological advances of the military • Teaming in Defense projects • The F-22 - Stealth

4. The F-22 Program • Request for Information (1981-1984) • Concept Exploration (1984-1986) • Demonstration/Validation (1986-1991) • Engineering and Manufacturing Development (1991 – Present)

5. The Advanced Tactical Fighter Concept • F-15C “Eagle” Air Superiority Fighter • The MiG-29 “Fulcrum” and Su-27 “Flanker” • Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF)

6. Concept Exploration • Stealth • Supercruise • Maneuverability • Tradeoffs

7. The Concepts • Lockheed • Faceted vs. curved surface (B-2, F-117) • Abandoned original proposal • General Dynamics • Big debate over tail configuration • Boeing • Larger and faster • Single chin inlet, 2-tailed design

8. Last Minute Changes • Increase the importance of stealth • Affected General Dynamics the most • Contract modified to include prototypes • From $100 to $700 million • Only 2 contracts, instead of 4 • Letter encouraging teaming • Boeing/Lockheed/General Dynamics submit proposals separately • Winning company is team leader

9. Company Advantages • Lockheed • Rapidly developed concept • Stealth experience • Boeing • Excellent initial concept • Manufacturing and production capability • General Dynamics • Rapid prototyping experience – YF-16

10. Contract Award • 31 October 1986 • Lockheed and Northrop get contracts • 2 November 1986 • 100 manager/engineers meet at the “Skunkworks” • Teaming begins

11. Definition of the Team • Joint Venture - a partnership “created by two or more separate entities who associate, usually to engage in one specific project or transaction” (Sweet) • Prime Contractor / Subcontractor - when “a potential prime contractor agrees with two or more other companies to have them act as subcontractors under a specified Government contract or acquisition program.” (FAR) Most “teams” are a hybrid

12. Benefits of Teaming • Most common in high-tech defense • Customer: • Best minds / capabilities of industry • Lockheed: Stealth • General Dynamics: Prototyping • Boeing: Production and manufacturing • Companies: • Shared risk of R&D • Pooling of knowledge • Shorter project?

13. The Types of Teams

14. Legal Aspects of Teaming • Government encourages teaming • Agreement must be fully disclosed • Cannot violate antitrust laws • Agreement should very thorough

15. Financial contributions Personnel contributions Project management Types of control Division of work Profit sharing Dispute resolution Liability issues Indemnification? Trade secrets and proprietary info What should it include?

16. F-22 Agreement • 2 November 1986: first meeting • Concepts presented • Diversity of design • Lockheed’s stealth capability • USAF presents evaluations • Cost savings / technological promises not as important • Emphasis on generalized solutions and risk reduction

17. Division of Work • Sherm Mullin (Lockheed) = PM • Randy Kent (General Dynamics) and Dick Hardy (Boeing) shared responsibility • Three different plans • Lockheed’s was start for bargaining

18. Lockheed’s Responsibilities • Project Management • Cockpit, Nose section, forward fuselage • Control Surfaces (ailerons, stabilators, etc.) • Landing Gear • Final Assembly • Flight Testing

19. Boeing’s Responsibilities • Avionics and Mission Software • Wings • Aft Fuselage • Life Support System • Training Systems

20. General Dynamics’ Responsibilities • Center fuselage • Weapons Systems • Communications and Navigation • Electronic Warfare Suite

22. YF-22 Design Process • Started with Lockheed’s Concept • However, it would not fly • Aircraft Weight – change the requirements • July 1987 – initial plan complete • 9000 lbs overweight • $5 mil more per aircraft • USAF refuses to change requirements

23. Starting from Scratch… “One of the most creative periods of conceptual design for any fighter aircraft.” • Wing Shape / tail design / fuselage shape • Supercruise not possible • Thrust reversers eliminated • May 1988 – prototype design frozen • Assembly begins

24. The Production Model • Production considered from beginning • Structure modified • Avionics Package • Average price was $16 mil per aircraft • Max price set at $9 mil • Some avionics eliminated • Radar coverage reduced

25. Flight Testing • 29 August 1990 – YF-22 unveiled • 29 September 1990 – first test flight • Aggressive testing phase (lessons from YF-16) • Flown to all edges of the envelope, including supercruise • Successfully fired weapons (unlike YF-23)

26. Contract Award • 31 December 1990 – proposal delivered to USAF • 23 April 1991 – YF-22 wins the contract

27. Teaming Issues for the YF-22

28. Legal Issues Type of Team • Cross between joint venture and subcontractor relationship • Not a separate entity • All applied for prime contract • Shared responsibility • Improved their image to the USAF?

29. Roles / responsibilities of team leader Procedures for division of work Future proposals Proprietary Info Patents Cost Sharing Cost Reporting Dispute resolution Termination Legal Issues The Teaming Document Specific Areas Addressed: Freedom to Adapt

30. Legal Issues Trade Secrets / Proprietary Info • Antitrust Laws • Aerospace industry is small • Mergers: Lockheed + Martin Marietta + General Dynamics = Lockheed Martin • Teaming Termination • Security Issues • Stealth was a “Black” program • Coordination of Publicity • Classification Issues

31. Organizational Issues Organizational Structure • Sherm Mullin (Lockheed) = PM • Randy Kent (General Dynamics) • Dick Hardy (Boeing) • Traditional Organization for Design • Structures, Avionics, Aerodynamics, etc. • Specific companies ultimately responsible for specific areas

32. Organizational Issues Personnel Issues • Working with the “competition” • Initial days very strained • Vast differences in initial concepts • Technical experts = most difficulty adapting • Informal chain-of-command • Chief engineer (from company) in a section • Mullin / Hardy / Kent level • 2-Boss problem? “I began to sense that we were becoming a more cohesive unit when the aerodynamicists from all three companies began voting against the structural engineers from all three companies.”

33. Organizational Issues Communication • Seattle / Fort Worth / Burbank • Pre-internet • YF-22 used CAD from beginning • 1987 – Secure data link established

34. Organizational Issues Communication • Software Compatibility • General Dynamics had the best system • Lockheed’s concept could not be digitized • General Dynamics’ computers sent to Lockheed’s facility • Security • ACAD (General Dynamics) used for design • CATIA (Lockheed) was used for manufacturing

35. Economic Issues Cost Sharing, Reporting, and Accounting • R&D costs • Overhead costs • Accounting • Several generally accepted procedures • They all had to use the same methods

36. Economic Issues Initial Problems • Economics of the Proposals • Differing accounting procedures • Cost estimation procedures • Differing labor rates

37. Project Management Issues Leadership by Example • Mullin, Hardy, and Kent had to set the tone • Mullin and Hardy – opposing personalities • Kent was the middleman • They got along remarkably well • Noticed by the rest of the team “Upper management’s lead established the right tone for success.”

38. Project Management Issues Corporate Loyalties • People from different functional areas • Aerodynamics, structures, etc. • This is standard in a project • Differing corporate loyalties • Mullin had to not only be fair, but appear fair as well

39. Project Management Issues Problem Solving / Decision Making • Mullin did not have full authority • Corporate loyalties exacerbated defensiveness • No final authority – decisions by committee • Voting based on “party lines” vs. sound tech data

40. Conclusions • Many obstacles, but worth the effort? • Model for other defense programs • V-22 Osprey (Boeing and Bell) • AAWS-M Javelin (Hughes, Ford, and Texas Instrument)

41. Questions???