F-35 JPO initiates cybersecurity challenge 

The F-35 Joint Program Office is seeking out new cyber protection technologies as it kicks off a multistage challenge to integrate advanced capabilities onto the fighter aircraft and supporting ground systems, a recent government notice indicates.

The listing, published last week, calls for proposals from industry, academia and government that would “expand on traditional cybersecurity approaches to meet the unique needs of the air system, such as automated inflight detection and response, to increase its cyber resilience and survivability.”

An ideal outcome, the notice adds, would involve a mix of hardware, software and firmware from different sources atop an open system design that would facilitate “seamless updates and technology insertions to respond to emerging cybersecurity threats.”

Size, weight and power requirements will be a “critical consideration” for any submissions, per the listing. Submissions will be evaluated based on the broader feasibility of system integration, their applicability to the operating environment and alignment to cyber resiliency strategies.

When submitting proposals, respondents are asked to describe their technologies, assess their solution's maturity level, identify needed resources for continued development, and address whether they have the resources to showcase an existing prototype, among other things, according to a copy of the Quad Chart template included with the notice.

Responses are due March 3. Beyond that, the challenge’s next phases could feature “additional technical narrative” solutions to bolster a previous submission, a prototyping or demonstration event and a piloting of the proposal on an airframe.