MOD civil servant honoured for work on Joint Combat Aircraft

Working for the Defence Equipment and Support Joint Combat Aircraft Team, Lyn Tyacke spent four years in Virginia, USA, as a lead Systems Engineer on the JCA programme. 

Joint Combat Aircraft is the British name for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).

For her role in the project, Lyn was recently presented with the 'Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service' by Major General David R Heinz from the US Marine Corps, who is the Programme Executive Officer for the F-35 JCA project. 

At the same ceremony in MOD's Main Building in London, Lyn was also presented with the CDM Certificate of Commendation for her work in Virginia.

Between September 2005 and August 2009, Lyn was responsible for co-ordinating the technical information exchange between the various local and international partners involved in the project, ensuring that each of the seperate systems incorporated within the JCA would be able to operate effectively together; an essential role in a project of this size.

The aircraft's flight test programme is currently in full swing with the first RAF pilot taking to the skies in a Short Take Off/Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant of the plane on 29 January 2010.

Reaching this stage in the aircraft's development would not have been possible without Lyn's team ensuring the successful integration or 'interoperability' of the various components and support elements.

On receiving her medal from Major General Heinz, Lyn said:

"I feel very honoured and very fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve [as part of the JCA Team in Virginia]."

"It was really interesting working in an international, collaborative environment. It was a great opportunity to work together and learn the processes that other acquisition communities implement," she added.

Her citation for the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service reads:

"Ms Lyn Tyacke is recognised for outstanding public service as the Interoperability and Supportability Certification Lead, F-35 Lightning II Program, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, from September 2005 through August 2009.

"Ms Tyacke provided direction and focus to integrate, develop and validate F-35 interoperability for the nine F-35 participants.

"Her leadership resulted in significant contributions to the F-35 program, including prioritising vital network-centric requirements.

"She maintained a critical link to the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence, ensuring a segregation of international partners into the co-operative development program.

"Applying her talent, energy, and enthusiasm towards her team's mission, she successfully led efforts to improve lethality and survivability for the world's premier strike fighter system.

"The distinctive accomplishments of Ms Tyacke reflect great credit upon herself and the Department of Defense."

The CDM award recognised Lyn's part in a team whose 'meticulous planning, clear direction, detailed negotiation, and strong commitment brought the delivery of the air component of the future carrier strike capability one step closer to fruition.'

Prior to her involvement in the JCA Team, Lyn spent two years serving with NATO as a Communications Manager at the Defence Academy in the Slovak Republic after taking advantage of the MOD overseas posting scheme of the time.

Lyn is grateful to the MOD for enabling her to develop her skills as a Systems Engineer:

"The Ministry of Defence has been a great employer in training me in these areas," she said.

Now back in the UK, Lyn is enjoying her new role as a trainer at the Defence Academy in Shrivenham:

"It's very different from working on a project, and that was one of the reasons why I took the role," she said.

"Working on the Joint Strike Fighter project was very dynamic, very exciting, and I thought if I was going to come back to the UK maybe I would need a different role because working in a project could be an anticlimax after that."

The Joint Combat Aircraft is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft, planned to replace the RAF and Royal Navy Harriers. Although Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor, the UK is a Level 1 partner with the US, and a number of British companies, including BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce, will have extensive involvement in building and developing the aircraft.

The UK version, the F-35B, will be a stealth, multi-role, all-weather, day-and-night, fighter/attack air system, designed to operate as a STOVL aircraft from land bases and from the next generation of aircraft carriers. This will give the UK a world-beating land-based and sea-based joint expeditionary air power capability well into the middle of the century.