On May 27, Lockheed Martin visited Janicki’s Layton, Utah facility with their F-35 Lightning II interactive cockpit demonstrator. Set up inside the facility, the simulator replicated the body of an F-35, outfitted with actual flight controls from the aircraft, and featured several large screens and realistic graphics. For several hours, Janicki team members had the opportunity to experience firsthand the aircraft they support through precision manufacturing.
The following day, Janicki and Lockheed Martin opened the event to local leaders, Hill Air Force Base guests and media to experience the simulator and discuss the F-35’s impact in Utah.
The program included remarks from Utah Rep. Blake Moore, who recently secured $6.5 million in congressional funding for planning and design of a dedicated F-35 canopy maintenance facility at Hill AFB; Chauncey McIntosh, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager of the F-35 Lightning II program; and Marshall Hagen, Janicki program director. Rep. Moore and other attendees rounded out the day with a flight in the virtual cockpit.
The F-35’s role in Utah
The F-35 program has a substantial presence in northern Utah. More than 5,000 people work across 19 companies that produce components for the aircraft, gene
rating over $670 million in annual economic impact statewide. $402 million of that lies in Utah’s 1st Congressional District alone.
Janicki’s Layton location operates out of a 100,000-square-foot facility adjacent to Hill Air Force Base, where F-35s are a familiar sight in the sky. The site houses four Janicki 5-axis mills and focuses on large-scale, high-precision composite and metallic machining for aerospace and space parts.
“What makes this space special is the people,” said Hagen. “When we ask our team members what excites them the most about coming to work every day, the answer we hear more than any other is this: they get to see the parts they work on fly every day. I think there is no greater sense of pride knowing that your hard work contributes to something bigger than yourself.”
Janicki’s Utah facility is on a growth trajectory of its own. An upcoming 70,000-square-foot expansion, including a new Janicki mill, will bring the site’s workforce to more than 200.
A growing program
More than 1,300 F-35s are currently operational around the globe. The fleet surpassed 1 million flight hours last year, and the U.S. is expected to nearly double its F-35 purchase request in 2027. The aircraft is produced not only for the U.S. military, but for 20 allied nations including the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan.
McIntosh described the aircraft’s strategic role: “We are combat-proven; we’ve gone into some of the most hostile environments across the globe, completed the mission, and brought pilots home safe.”
Rep. Moore said the goal is for Utah to be the long-term home for F-35 sustainability. “Northern Utah is establishing superiority across the globe,” he said.
For Janicki’s Utah team, the event was a full-circle moment, giving employees a firsthand look at the aircraft their manufacturing supports and a tangible reminder of the mission their work contributes to.