Optimizing F-35 Sustainment: Cost Control, Availability, and Long-Term Success with Opus Suite
The US Navy uses the logistics optimization software Opus Suite from Systecon to reduce operation and maintenance costs in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.
Delivering Predictive Analytics and Lifecycle Optimization for the World’s Most Advanced Fighter
The F-35 Lightning II is the Department of Defense’s most extensive and most complex weapons program, designed to deliver next-generation capability to the U.S. and its allies. But with projected lifecycle costs exceeding $1 trillion, the Joint Program Office (JPO) faced a critical challenge: how to manage these long-term costs without compromising performance or readiness.
Systecon North America (SYNA), working closely with the F-35 JPO, brought its industry-leading analytics platform, Opus Suite, to bear, delivering measurable results in cost reduction while increasing availability, and readiness, enabling a successful transition toward organic modeling support within the U.S. government.
The Challenge: Sustaining Performance While Controlling Costs
Maintaining a high level of readiness across the global F-35 fleet requires a complex support ecosystem spanning OEMs, international partners, and service-specific demands. As the program matured, the JPO needed deeper visibility into sustainment drivers and actionable insights to guide data-driven decisions.
Specifically, the program required:
Optimization of lifecycle costs amid increasing budget scrutiny
- Tools to evaluate trade-offs between cost, availability, and performance
- Improved supportability modeling across an expanding global fleet
A pathway to self-sufficiency in modeling and sustainment planning
The Solution: Predictive Decision Support with Opus Suite
Systecon North America deployed the Opus Suite—including OPUS10, SIMLOX, and CATLOC—to help the JPO evaluate and optimize sustainment strategies across the entire lifecycle. Working with program stakeholders, SYNA delivered:
1. Cost vs. Readiness Trade-off Analysis
Using OPUS10’s optimization engine, SYNA helped identify more than $3 billion in sustainment cost savings by reevaluating inventory levels, maintenance policies, and repair strategies without compromising resiliency or system readiness.
2. Data-Driven Logistics and Resource Planning
Opus Suite enabled structured analysis of readiness drivers and bottlenecks across the program, enabling defensible targeted investments and reallocation of resources.
3. Transition to Organic Modeling
One of SYNA’s most strategic contributions was enabling the JPO to internalize and run models independently. By training government personnel and creating repeatable modeling workflows, the F-35 program gained long-term modeling self-sufficiency, aligning with the Navy's Common Readiness Model and best practices across other DoD agencies.
The Impact: Lower Costs, Higher Availability, Greater Independence
Systecon North America’s contributions to the F-35 program led to substantial improvements in both strategic sustainment planning and day-to-day operational readiness.
Cost Control and Budget Optimization
Opus Suite modeling revealed billions in potential O&M savings and significantly improved cost transparency for decision-makers.
Increased Uptime and Availability
Optimization efforts resulted in measurable increases in fleet readiness, supply chain resiliency, and mission-capable rates for deployed and training aircraft.
Schedule and Cycle Time Reduction
Logistics simulations helped quantify the impact of investments to increase capacity, reduce repair turnaround times and improve supply chain responsiveness across international operations.
Strategic Transition to In-House Capabilities
The JPO's ability to model organically using Opus Suite now reflects the success of SYNA’s support and the program’s long-term sustainability maturity.
A Model for Modern Sustainment Strategy
The F-35 program demonstrates how predictive analytics and structured optimization can reduce lifecycle costs, enhance operational outcomes, and empower government programs with modeling independence.
As the Department of Defense increasingly focuses on speed, agility, and affordability, Systecon North America’s partnership with the F-35 JPO sets a new standard for long-term sustainment planning and performance.
“This is always the goal for Systecon North America… to take its clients to a place where they can support the modeling organically.”
- ExecutiveBiz Interview, Jim Woodard, Chief Operating Officer, Systecon North America
Ready to Optimize Your Program?
Whether you’re managing a central defense platform or modernizing sustainment strategies, Systecon North America delivers the tools, training, and technical expertise to drive measurable results.
Let’s talk about how predictive analytics and the Opus Suite can support your mission.
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