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The Lockheed Martin JSF team won the 1999 Modeling and Simulation Acquisition award presented by the Defense Modeling and Simulation Office in the US Department of Defense. The honor recognizes Lockheed Martins unique capabilities to predict the aircraft structural response to ballistic impacts, such as antiaircraft artillery. The modeling and simulation tool used can be applied to a variety of structural materials and threats. The award was presented during DMSOs Industry Days activities in Washington, DC, in May.
Historically, ballistic models have not been very accurate in predicting the complex interactions between exploding projectiles, on-board fluids, and aircraft structural components. As a result, little has been known about the vulnerability of aircraft to various threats; the collection of meaningful data depended on expensive live-fire testing. Use of live-fire testing comes at the end of the development process and can result in costly redesign, retesting, production delays, and retrofit.
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