F-35 is ‘not on a path to success’

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has been hailed as the ‘most expensive weapon in history,’ and with a price tag of $400 billion for 2,457 planes, the fifth-generation fighter has been plagued with issues.

But it appeared the tide had finally turned earlier this month when the U.S. Air Force has declared an initial squadron of Lockheed Martin Corp F-35A fighter jets ready for combat.
Now, the Pentagon’s director of operational testing has poured cold water on the announcement, slamming the planes readiness.

The Pentagon’s director of testing said it is ‘not on a path toward success but instead on a path toward failing to deliver’ the plane’s full combat capabilities on time, according to Bloomberg.

The software on the F-35 is being constantly upgraded.
In 2017, its 3F software will be rolled out, which will give the the aircraft its full war-fighting capability, including the ability to launch certain types of weapons such as the Small Diameter Bomb.

Other 3F changes, like improved pilot interfaces and displays, will make the plane easier to operate.
Michael Gilmore, stated the F-35 is ‘actually not on a path toward success but instead on a path toward failing to deliver’ the plane’s full combat capabilities on time, according to Bloomberg.

Gilmore also said the plane is ‘running out of time and money’ to address deficiencies
‘Achieving full combat capability with the Joint Strike Fighter is at substantial risk’ of not occurring before development is supposed to end and realistic combat testing begins, he said of the F-35.

The U.S. Air Force has declared an initial squadron of Lockheed Martin Corp F-35A fighter jets ready for combat, marking a major milestone for a program that has faced cost overruns and delays.

However, the most complex software capabilities ‘are just being added’ and new problems requiring fixes and verification testing ‘continue to be discovered at a substantial rate,’ Gilmore wrote to Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James; General David Goldfein, the service’s chief of staff; and Frank Kendall, the Pentagon’s acquisitions chief.

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