WASHINGTON – The Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter weapons program hasstruggled with reliability issues for years. According to a new report,initiatives to improve the plane’s ability to fly when called on have been“stagnant” for more than two years.
The plane’s availability to fly missions on demand is only “around 50percent, a condition that has existed with no significant improvementsince October 2014, despite the increasing number of aircraft,” RobertBehler, director of operational testing, said in a report sent to CongressTuesday that was obtained by Bloomberg.[image: F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter]
The report found roughly 1,000 “unresolved deficiencies” with thefifth-generation aircraft, its software platforms and the flightmaintenance system known as the Autonomic Logistics Information System(ALIS), that are likely to limit the aircraft during combat testing.
Combat testing is a crucial step for Lockheed Martin and the Pentagonto move the F-35 into “full-rate production” versus “initial rateproduction.” Full-rate production is more profitable for the company andwill allow clients who sought to acquire the planes years ago to finallyreceive their orders. Combat testing is supposed to kick off in Septemberand will last one year — about 12 months after Lockheed was originallyscheduled to complete these tests.
Classified “key” deficiencies regarding the F-35’s ability to fire AIM-120AMRAAM air-to-air missiles will hinder the plane’s performanceduring combat testing, while “system-related deficiencies” are holding backthe aircraft’s ability to strike ground targets.[image: Three F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, (rear to front) AF-2, AF-3 andAF-4, flies over Edwards Air Force Base in this December 10, 2011 handoutphoto provided by Lockheed Martin]
To make matters worse, the aircraft’s self-diagnostic systems are detectingfalse positives of parts on the plane failing that “actually have notfailed,” the report said.
Another issue with the plane has manifested in the “Block 3F” software, the31st iteration of the plane’s software, which has “shortfalls in thecapabilities the F-35 needs in combat against current threats,” accordingto the review.
Lockheed Martin has produced about 265 F-35s for the Pentagon, which plansto buy 2,456 pricey F-35s when all is said and done.