An enhanced logistics system for F-35 Lightning II has been delivered by Lockheed Martin to flight test sites for validation.

The software system -- the Autonomic Logistics Information System -- is described as the information technology backbone of the aircraft, integrating preventative maintenance, flight scheduling and the mission-planning system for aircraft sustainment.

"The men and women who will take the F-35 into operations are charting a new course for fighter aircraft, from tactics development to fleet sustainment," said Mary Ann Horter, vice president of F-35 Sustainment Support at Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training. "ALIS provides them with a complete picture of the fleet's status so that they are equipped with the information needed to make proactive decisions and keep the jets flying."

The F-35 is the first tactical aircraft to have sustainment tools engineered in concert with the plane for efficiency and cost effectiveness, Lockheed Martin said.