Marines Need Special Lightning Rods To Shield Their F-35s In Japan From Storms - PLP-38-MOB portable lighting rod in its deployed configuration..jpg

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Among a number of residual issues that remain with the F-35 Joint Strike
Fighter, the matter of the jet’s defenses against lightning strikes, or lack
thereof, continues to be a particularly vexing issue. For the U.S. Marine Corps
and its F-35B variant, thunderstorms are still such a problem that the service
is buying special portable lightning rods to help shield the jets when they’re
parked outside at bases that otherwise don’t have the necessary infrastructure,
which includes Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan.

On Aug. 8, 2018, the Marines announced plans to purchase 14 lightning rods
through a sole-source contract to LBA Technology, Inc. of Greenville, North
Carolina. According to the contracting notice, which the service posted on
FedBizOpps, this is the only company that makes systems that the U.S. Military’s
main F-35 Joint Program Office has approved for use with the aircraft.

“Since the F-35 as a composite type aircraft does not provide inherent passive
lightning protection, the lightning rods being requested are needed for
deploying aircraft to any expeditionary airfield in support of combat operations
or training exercises that do not support all lightning protection requirements
for the F-35B,” the Marine Corps said in its justification for giving the deal
straight to LBA. “Based upon extensive research from the F-35 Joint Program
Office, this is the only lightning rod that meets the established program
requirements.”

Based on the Marines’ minimum requirements, LBA’s F-35-specific version of its
PLP-38-MOB rod can remain upright even in winds of up to 120 miles per hour
without needing to be moored to the ground in some fashion. They can also
operate in spite of heavy rainfall, ice buildup, or extreme hot and cold
temperatures. It is not clear how much each one costs, but a complete PLP-38-MOB
kit has a unit price of $18,750, according to LBA's website.

But from the information that is available, we know the lightning protection is
absolutely vital if the Marine Corps expects to park its F-35Bs out in the open
at bases such as Iwakuni and avoid the hassle of having to move them into
hangars or under other suitably protected shelters every time there is the
possibility of a thunderstorm. As of 2017, the plane’s manufacturer Lockheed
Martin was still finalizing improvements to the Autonomic Logistics Information
System (ALIS) to properly shield it against the shock of a lightning strike
across all variants, according to a routine report from the Pentagon’s Office of
the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, also known as DOT&E.



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