Pitch Day for F-35 Lightning II Data Tools

Developing software for advanced systems like the F-35 is extremely complex. Many components must work together to provide the warfighter a coherent tactical picture. The integration of these components is very complex as they are often developed by different vendors and employ a specific set of data definitions for communications. This leads to one-off stove-pipe solutions that require extensive software development whenever a change is needed. Additionally, as new capabilities are introduced, new data definitions are often required that force multiple components to update in order to avoid breaking the entire system. SimVentions has worked closely with Department of Defense (DoD) personnel from Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in the development of an integration tool called Dexter, which offers the ability to mediate incompatible message data issues through the use of a graphical user interface. Dexter was developed using a plug-in framework, making it capable of ingesting multiple data models and interface definition formats. This modularity allows Dexter to generate source code in multiple programming languages that mitigates data exchange incompatibilities between components. SimVentions proposes integrating the Dexter technology within the Air Force’s development pipeline to mitigate the issues that result from integrating multiple disparate data sources.