WASHINGTON - The F-35 Lightning II fighter has generated a lot of hype and a lot of hate over the past decade. But the next three years will see major changes to the aircraft that will, with any luck, at least mute some of the hate—or otherwise, just add billions more to the cost of the aircraft, writes Sean Gallagher for Ars Technica. Continue reading original article.
The Intelligent Aerospace take:
September 1, 2020 -The F-35 has had some serious software issues since its launch. Earlier this year, the Pentagon's independent weapons tester Robert Behler said that the F-35 program's Continuous Capability Development and Delivery (C2D2) plan to update the fighter's software every six months is high risk.
“The current Continuous Capability Development and Delivery (C2D2) process has not been able to keep pace with adding new increments of capability as planned,” the office’s director wrote. “Software changes, intended to introduce new capabilities or fix deficiencies, often introduced stability problems and adversely affected other functionality.”
The upcoming Tech Refresh 3 will have add new software that will improve pilot safety, expand weapon load-out options, and improve electronic warfare capabilities. In addition, the refresh will upgrade the aircraft's core processor, and replace its big-screen display interface.
Related: Lockheed Martin to migrate F-35 logistics system to cloud by 2022 end
Related: The gun on the Air Force's F-35 has 'unacceptable' accuracy, Pentagon testing office says
Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Intelligent Aerospace
