Pentagon weapons tester: F-35 fighter jet has ‘significant’ problems
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The assessment warns of significant issues with the warplane
The $400 billion program is at risk of not reaching full combat capability
CNN
—
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program is drawing sharp criticism from the Pentagon’s top weapons tester, who warns the aircraft is “on a path of failing to deliver” its full combat capability.
The sobering review of the US military’s $400 billion program comes despite its achieving several major development milestones this month. The single-engine, fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet is touted as the future of military aviation: A lethal and versatile aircraft to replace the aging fleet currently used by all three military branches.
An Aug. 9th memo from Michael Gilmore, the Defense Department’s director of operational testing, to defense officials details the tester’s concerns.
Dated just one week after the Air Force declared its version of the F-35 ready for initial combat operations, Gilmore wrote that the advanced aircraft continues to demonstrate limitations related to its software, data fusion, electronic warfare and weapons employment, according to Bloomberg News, which first reported the memo.
“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 wrote in the memo to Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James; Gen. David Goldfein, the service’s chief of staff, and Frank Kendall, the Pentagon’s acquisitions chief, according to Bloomberg.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Master Sgt. Greg Steele/U.S. Air Force
B-52 Stratofortress —
The first versions of this long-range heavy bomber flew in 1954. A total of 744 were built, the last of those in 1962. The Air Force maintains 58 B-52s in the active force and 18 in the Reserve. A single B-52 can carry 70,000 pounds of mixed munitions, including bombs, missiles and mines. The eight-engine jets have a range of 8,800 miles.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Nicole Sikorski
C-130 Hercules transport —
A C-130J Super Hercules from the 37th Airlift Squadron flies over Normandy, France, June 3, 2015. First delivered to the Air Force in 1956, the C-130 remains one of the service's most important airlift platforms. More than 140 are still in active units, with more than 180 in the National Guard and a hundred more in the Reserve. The C-130 is powered by four turboprop engines.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
U.S. Air Force
AC-130 gunships —
The AC-130H Spectre and the AC-130U Spooky gunships are designed for close air support, air interdiction and force protection. Armaments on the Spectre include 40mm and 105mm cannons. The Spooky adds a 25mm Gatling gun.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Justin Connaher/U.S. Air Force
F-22 Raptor —
The twin-engine F-22 stealth fighter, flown by a single pilot and armed with a 20mm cannon, heat-seeking missiles, radar-guided missiles and radar-guided bombs, can perform both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. The service has 183 of the Raptors, which went operational in 2005.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
US Air Force/Airman 1st Class Elijah Chevalier
The single-engine F-35A is the Air Force's eventual replacement for the F-16 and the A-10. The supersonic jets, which will be able to conduct air-to-air and air-to-ground attacks, are just beginning to enter the Air Force fleet. Here, an F-35 Lightning II from the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, flys at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, April 15, 2017.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald/USAF
B-2 Spirit bomber —
The four-engine B-2 heavy bomber has stealth properties that make it hard to detect on radar. Flown by a crew of two, it has an unrefueled range of 6,000 miles and can deliver both conventional and nuclear bombs. Twenty B-2s are in the active inventory. They joined the fleet in 1997.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Airman 1st Class James L. Miller/USAF
B-1B Lancer bomber —
The four-engine jet can fly at 900 mph and carry the largest payload of bombs and missiles in the Air Force inventory. The Air Force has 62 B-1Bs in the fleet.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Airman 1st Class Chad Warren/USAF
F-15 Eagle —
The F-15 Eagle, the Air Force's main air superiority fighter, became operational in 1975. With a crew of one or two, depending on the model, the twin-engine jets are armed with a 20mm cannon along with Sidewinder or AMRAAM missiles. The Air Force lists 249 F-15 Eagles in its inventory.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
U.S. Air Force/FILE
F-15E Strike Eagle —
The Strike Eagle is a version of the air superiority fighter adapted to perform ground-strike missions. With a crew of two, the twin-jet can carry and deploy most weapons in the Air Force inventory and operate in any weather. The F-15E was first delivered in 1988. The Air Force lists 219 in its fleet.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
U.S. Air Force/FIle
A-10 Thunderbolt —
The A-10 Thunderbolt jets, nicknamed "Warthogs," are specially designed for close air support of ground forces. Key to their armaments is a 30mm Gatling gun. The pilot is protected from ground fire by titanium armor, and the plane's fuel cells are self-sealing in case of puncture.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
U.S. Air Force
RC-135U —
The RC-135U Combat Sent, based at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, provides strategic electronic reconnaissance information to the president, secretary of defense, Department of Defense leaders and theater commanders.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Airman 1st Class Jeffrey Schultz/USAF
An F-15 Eagle takes off from the Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, flight line as two E-3 Sentries are seen in the background.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
USAF/Getty Images North America/Getty Images
OV-10 Bronco —
A 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron OV-10 Bronco aircraft fires white phosphorus rockets to mark a target for an air strike during tactical air control training.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Airman 1st Class Dillian Bamman/USAF
A-29 Super Tucano —
An A-29 Super Tucano taxis on the flightline during its first arrival, Sept. 26, 2014, at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. Afghan Air Force pilots trained on the planes that will be used in air-to-ground attack missions in Afghanistan.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Master Sgt. Keith Reed/USAF
KC-135 Stratotanker —
The four-engine KC-135 joined the Air Force fleet in 1956 as both a tanker and cargo jet. It can carry up to 200,000 pounds of fuel and 83,000 pounds of cargo and passengers in a deck above the refueling system. More than 400 of the KC-135s are flown by active, Air Guard and Reserve units.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald/U.S. Air Force/File
F-16 Fighting Falcon —
The single-engine jet is a mainstay of the Air Force combat fleet. It can perform both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions with its 20mm cannon and ability to carry missiles and bombs on external pods. More than 1,000 F-16s are in the Air Force inventory.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
SSgt Sean M. Worrell/USAF
C-17 Globemaster transport —
The four-engine jet joined the Air Force fleet in 1993 with a primary mission of troop and cargo transport. Each plane can carry up to 102 troops or 170,900 pounds of cargo. The Air Force has 187 C-17s on active duty, 12 in the Air National Guard and 14 in the Reserve.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Jason Minto/US AIR FORCE
C-5 Galaxy transport —
The C-5, with a wingspan of 222 feet, a length of 247 feet and a height of 65 feet, is the largest plane in the Air Force inventory and one of the largest aircraft in the world. The first versions of the four-engine jet joined the force in 1970. The Air Force expects to have 52 versions of the latest model, the C-5M, in the fleet by 2017.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Markus Maier
CV-22 Osprey —
The Osprey is a tiltrotor aircraft that combines vertical takeoff, hover and landing qualities of a helicopter with the normal flight characteristics of a turboprop aircraft, according to the Air Force. It is used to move troops in and out of operations as well as resupply units in the field. The Air Force has 33 Ospreys in inventory.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
US Air Force
E-3 Sentry AWACS —
AWACS stands for airborne warning and control system. This four-engine jet, based on a Boeing 707 platform, monitors and manages battle space with its huge rotating radar dome. The planes have a flight crew of four supporting 13 to 19 specialists and controllers giving direction to units around the battle space. The Air Force has 32 E-3s in inventory.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Brian Dyjak/USAF
KC-10 Extender —
Based on the DC-10 passenger jet, the triple-engine KC-10 is a gas station in the sky with the ability to carry 75 people and 170,000 pounds of cargo. In its six tanks, the KC-10 can carry up to 356,000 pounds of fuel and dispense it while airborne. The Air Force has 59 KC-10s on active duty.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
Master Sgt. Lance Cheung/USAF
T-38 Talon —
The twin-engine jet trainer, used by the Air Force to prepare pilots for the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-15C Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, B-1B Lancer, A-10 Thunderbolt and F-22 Raptor, first flew in 1959. Almost 550 are in the active force.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
USAF/Getty Images
U-2 —
The single-engine, single-pilot U-2 is used for high-altitude reconnaissance and surveillance. Flying at altitudes around 70,000 feet, pilots must wear pressure suits like those worn by astronauts. The first U-2 was flown in 1955. The planes were used on missions over the Soviet Union during the Cold War, flying too high to be reached by any adversary. The Air Force has 33 U-2s in its active inventory.
Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet
U.S. Air Force/Josh Plueger
WC-135 Constant Phoenix —
The four-engine WC-135 is used to fly through airspace to detect the residue of nuclear blasts. "The aircraft is equipped with external flow-through devices to collect particulates on filter paper and a compressor system for whole air samples collected in holding spheres," the Air Force says. It has two of these jets in the active force.
Roger Cabiness, a Department of Defense spokesman for the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, confirmed the contents of Gilmore’s memo and told CNN it “provides details of significant performance problems that must be corrected for the Joint Strike Fighter to achieve full combat capability, as well as concerns that the program likely lacks the resources needed to correct those problems consistent with beginning operational testing in 2018.”
Combining advanced stealth with speed, agility and a 360-degree view of the battlefield, the F-35 is already the most expensive weapons system in history and has come under harsh scrutiny from lawmakers and watchdog groups after numerous hardware malfunctions and software glitches delayed the aircraft’s production for more than three years and caused its budget to swell some $200 billion over initial estimates.
However, the Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Program office downplayed the severity the issues noted in the memo, telling CNN that it is aware of all Gilmore’s concerns and is currently acting on all of his recommendations.
“While nearing completion, the F-35 is still in development and technical challenges are to be expected,” Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdon, the F-35’s chief executive officer, said in a statement.
“The program has a proven track record of solving technical issues and we’re confident we’ll continue to do so,” he added.
The Air Force said it is also working to address the problems detailed by Gilmore and reiterated that it has seen significant progress.
Despite Gilmore’s warning that the program “is running out of time and money to complete the planned flight testing and implement the required fixes and modifications,” the Joint Program Office remains optimistic that it will be able to complete the next-generation fighter in keeping with its latest schedule and within its most recent budget allocation.
As a testament to the program’s progress, Bogdon also noted that the F-35 has already been employed in multiple realistic, demanding deployments and exercises.
“The results of these operationally realistic events have been positive as the F-35 is proving to be a formidable weapons system that not only provides better capabilities when compared to legacy aircraft but also makes legacy aircraft more effective with its battlespace awareness, sensor fusion, and electronic attack & protective capabilities,” he said in a statement.
In addition to the Air Force declaring its version of the F-35 ready for combat earlier this month, the DOD’s Joint Program Office touted recent successes in testing the fighter’s weapons firing system.
The Marines declared its version of the aircraft combat-ready in July 2015, while the Navy expects to reach that milestone in 2018.