Joint Simulation Environment (JSE) verification and validation activities, a key hurdle before the F-35 program enters full-rate production, are being conducted in a “limited capacity” because of the novel coronavirus.

“The team is complying with appropriate federal, state, local, and command guidelines while trying to maximize operational efficiency,” F-35 spokeswoman Brandi Schiff said in a March 26 statement.

The F-35 enterprise continues to assess full COVID-19 impacts, Schiff added. This comes one day after the F-35 Joint Executive Steering Board met and U.S. Navy acquisition executive Hondo Geurts told reporters he had not seen “anything major” that would delay full-rate production.

The JSE creates a synthetic world that allows operational testers to gauge the F-35’s performance in theater-level scenarios, with multiple aircraft flying against an adversary’s full arsenal of fighters, missiles, and electronic warfare capabilities. The Pentagon is relying on the JSE before a full-rate production decision can be made. But a dispute over intellectual property rights has delayed the effort by 2 1/2 years, and COVID-19 may potentially add to the deferment.

Geurts said he spoke with his U.S. Air Force counterpart, Will Roper, who is the largest F-35 customer, and the duo is making sure business is open at the test ranges. But it depends on what happens in the coming weeks, Geurts said.