Technology

A billion-dollar American fighter was virtually unsuitable for flight.

High-tech fighter of the 5th generationThe F-35 Lightning II was to play a key role in the future of the US military. Developed since 2001, the multifunctional machine was supposed to enter service with the United States Air Force and Air Force, replacing the 4th generation aircraft. However, before the official decision on the launch of mass production of the F-35, which should be made at the end of the year, the Pentagon plans to decide whether to continue the development of the fighter.

As reported by the portal Futurism, referring toDefense News, which conducted its own investigation, the new machine, there are 13 not previously declared, but the most serious problems of the 1st category, affecting the effectiveness of the missions they perform.

According to the source, the development programthe multifunctional fighter, for which the US has spent more than one billion dollars, is currently in a much worse shape than reported through official channels.

Disadvantages of the F-35 Lightning II fighter

Thus, according to the Defense News investigation, the fighter’s shortcomings, in particular, include:

  • The inability of the allies to use the logistic system ALIS (Autonomic Logistics Information System) without sending to the US their own secret information about the operation of the aircraft;
  • There are problems with deliveries to customers of spare parts, accounting for which is not provided or is inaccurate ALIS;
  • There is a likelihood of barotrauma with sharp pressure surges in the cabin;
  • The electronics of the device is lying, constantly giving out erroneous information about the failure of the battery of the aircraft at temperatures of minus 34 degrees Celsius and below;
  • At speeds above 1.2 Mach, F-35B and F-35C exhibit structural damage and blistering on the stealth coating;
  • At angles of attack greater than 20 degrees, the F-35B and F-35C may become unstable;
  • There are problems with the brake system F-35A and F-35B during landing;
  • There are problems with the pilot’s helmet-mounted display - a “green glow” appears on it, making visibility difficult when boarding an aircraft on an aircraft carrier;
  • In low-light conditions, a night-vision camera may display “horizontal lines”, making it difficult to view the horizon when landing a fighter;
  • Limited mode of operation of the radar with an active phased antenna array AN / APG-81 above the sea, which detects targets only in the frontal direction;
  • At air temperatures above plus 32 degrees Celsius, the F-35B engine may not develop enough for a soft landing thrust.

In the same report, Defense News recalls that, as of January 2018, the F-35 had 111 problems of the 1st category. In May of the same year their number was reduced to 64.

The publication managed to get a comment fromPentagon’s F-35 Lightning II program manager, Vice Admiral Mat Winter, who said that none of the current 13 problems present a serious or catastrophic risk to pilots, a mission or a glider (subcategory 1-A), while the remaining shortcomings ( 1-B), while limiting the mission’s capabilities, can be eliminated in the near future.

Winter also noted that the Pentagon intendscorrect or downgrade nine deficiencies to category 2, whereas the other two problems will solve with future software updates. The remaining two drawbacks, the Pentagon decided not to correct (and so come down). Explaining the reasons for such a decision, he said that such problems were discovered when the fighter was working at the limit of its capabilities.

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