(Bloomberg) — A $14 billion Pentagon software upgrade for F-35 jets is being installed on planes that are already deployed even though it’s “immature, deficient and insufficiently tested,” according to a new assessment by the military’s testing office.
Aircraft operators “identified deficiencies in weapons, fusion, communications and navigation, cybersecurity and targeting processes that required software modification and additional time and resources, which caused delays,” according to the 13-page assessment in the testing office’s annual report, which will soon be released.
Built by Lockheed Martin Corp., the F-35 is a flying computer, with more than 8 million lines of computer code, and software needed to increase its capabilities has been marred by problems since deliveries of the upgrades began in 2020.
The Defense Department’s F-35 program office has implemented “process improvements to address software development issues,” according to the assessment.
The F-35 section of the annual report, which has circulated inside the Pentagon for comment, is a combination of unclassified and “controlled, unclassified information.”
Laura Seal, spokeswoman for the Defense Department’s F-35 program office, said in a statement that the office “delivers software on a warfighter-relevant timeline and our warfighters decide to take the software based on their review of the benefits of incorporating this software into their fleets.” She said feedback is used “to improve the way we deliver software.”
But the assessment under new Defense Department testing director Nickolas Guertin found that the program office “does not adhere to the published best practices” and has “consistently failed to deliver the capabilities contained in their master schedule.”
“The program has not sufficiently funded” teams to “adequately test, analyze data or perform comprehensive” check-up analysis “to assure that unintentional deficiencies are not embedded in the software prior to delivery,” the testing office added in the assessment. As a result, the current process has resulted in frequent “discoveries of critical warfighting deficiencies after fielding to the combat units.”
Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed has delivered more than 750 of a potential 3,300 jets to the U.S. and partners. They are in operation in nine nations, including South Korea, the U.K. and Israel.
The Block 4 software upgrade has a new processor to increase the computing power and memory of the F-35. The upgrade also is intended to allow the fighters to carry new AIM-9X Block II air-to-air missiles, all-weather Small Diameter Bomb II munitions, radar-killing AARGM-ER missiles, several allied-produced bombs and the B-61 nuclear bomb.
It’s not worked out that way so far. “Although designed to introduce new capabilities or fix deficiencies, the process has often introduced stability problems and/or adversely affected” other functions, with operational testing, training and active-duty military units discovering deficiencies, according to the report.
Cybersecurity, Readiness
Among the testing office’s other major findings:
Cybersecurity: Although some problems related to cybersecurity have been resolved, testing last year continued to show unresolved vulnerabilities.
Readiness: Aircraft availability rates –a key measure of readiness — averaged 61% in the 12 months ending Oct. 1. But after reaching a peak of 70% in January 2021, the rate deteriorated to 53% in September. The U.S. military had 454 F-35’s as of Oct. 1, with 214 considered combat aircraft, and 210 for training.
“The sharp reduction in availability since June 2021 has been predominately driven by spare parts not being available when needed” and “limited component-level depot repair capacity,” the testing office said. “In May 2021, on average, 15% of the fleet was down awaiting spare parts and in September that percentage rose to 25%.”
Engines: A “significant shortage of fully functional” engines from the Pratt & Whitney unit of Raytheon Technologies Corp. “has contributed to reduced aircraft availability.” That shortage, mostly for the Air Force version of the F-35, has been exacerbated “by the lack of depot repair capacity.”
During the week ending June 14, 2021, 38 jets across the fleet “were down awaiting a functional engine at some point.” By the week ending Sept. 27, the number increased to 52 aircraft. The shortages have affected both training and operational units.
(Updates with Pentagon comment in sixth paragraph)
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