TECH TALK

March 2006

Joint Strike Fighter Gets Cleaned Up

LJoint Strike Fighter testers at Edward Air Force Base, Calif., are perfecting processes to cleanse the aircraft of biological and chemical contamination.

Biological decontamination, which could be aimed at a lethal agent such as anthrax, involves placing the aircraft in an inflatable hanger and exposing it to vaporized hydrogen peroxide. Officials say the procedure generally takes 48 to 72 hours. As the process is completed, the hydrogen peroxide breaks down into water and oxygen.

Chemical decontamination, meanwhile, requires placing the jet in a metal container and heating it to 180 degrees for six days. During that period, the strike fighter is monitored by video, temperature sensors and air sampling systems.

Decontamination processes for JSF subsystems are being developed.

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