Case Study 3 VIRTUAL TEAMS IN ACTION: vice president for information systems Lockheed BUILDING THE F-35 FIGHTER Aeronautics, said, "It's the true virtual connection." The F-35 Lighting II Program, also known as the Teams working both nationally and internationally Joint Fighter Program, is the U.S. Department of in the same room. Teams communicated via their were connected as if team members were working Defense's next-generation stealth fighter aircraft. The Department of Defense named Lockheed computers while looking at shared documents, carried on email chats, and used electronic white- Martin Aeronautics of Fort Worth, Texas, to design boards on which geographically separated team and build the fighter with Northrop Grumman and members could draw pictures or charts, in real BAE Systems as major partners. Several countries, time, as others watched and responded. The Inter- including Italy, Australia, Canada, Turkey, India, and Israel, have contributed toward the develop- net was designed to allow people from different ment costs of the program. companies with incompatible computing systems to interface on websites that speak a common The success of the megaproject hinges greatly language. on intricate teamwork and the cooperation of countless individuals. For example, more than 80 Questions suppliers worked at 187 locations worldwide to build components for the fighter. A 75-member technology group at Lockheed's aeronautics divi- sion linked the suppliers along with the U.S. Air h Force, Navy, and Marines to Britain's Defense Ministry to track progress and make midstream design and production changes. Individuals work- ing at more than 40,000 computer stations collabo- rated to get the first plane airborne in just 4 years. 4. What specific training should virtual teams Speaking of the teamwork involved, Mark Peden, receive