F-35's List of Flaws Includes a Gun That Can't Shoot Straight
Add a gun that cant shoot straight to the problems that dog Lockheed Martin Corp.s $428 billion F-35 program, including more than 800 software flaws.
The 25mm gun on Air Force models of the Joint Strike Fighter has unacceptable accuracy in hitting ground targets and is mounted in housing thats cracking, the Pentagons test office said in its latest assessment of the costliest U.S. weapons system.
The annual assessment by Robert Behler, the Defense Departments director of operational test and evaluation, doesnt disclose any major new failings in the planes flying capabilities. But it flags a long list of issues that his office said should be resolved -- including 13 described as Category 1 must-fix items that affect safety or combat capability -- before the F-35s upcoming $22 billion Block 4 phase.
The number of software deficiencies totaled 873 as of November, according to the report obtained by Bloomberg News in advance of its release as soon as Friday. Thats down from 917 in September 2018, when the jet entered the intense combat testing required before full production, including 15 Category 1 items. What was to be a year of testing has now been extended another year until at least October.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-30/f-35-s-gun-that-can-t-shoot-straight-adds-to-its-roster-of-flaws
rsdsharp
(9,135 posts)Trump said so. It must be true.
dalton99a
(81,391 posts)And don't skimp
keithbvadu2
(36,649 posts)SCVDem
(5,103 posts)If it's boresighted properly it should shoot straight unless the mounting is substandard.
It is a problem the taxpayers should not pay to fix!
caraher
(6,278 posts)And yes, the mounting is substandard:
The mounts are also cracking, forcing the Air Force to restrict the guns use. The program office has made progress with changes to gun installation to improve accuracy but they havent been tested yet, according to the report.