The high-tech 5th generation F-35 Lightning II fighter was to play a key role in the future of the US military. Developed since 2001, the multifunctional vehicle was supposed to enter service with the US Air Force and Navy, replacing the 4th generation aircraft. However, before the official decision to launch serial production of the F-35, which should be made at the end of the year, the Pentagon plans to decide whether to continue developing the fighter.
According to the Futurism portal, referring to Defense News, which has conducted its own investigation, the new machine has 13 previously unannounced, but at the same time, the most serious problems of the 1st category, affecting the effectiveness of the missions they perform.
According to the source, the program for the development of a multifunctional fighter, on which the United States has spent more than one billion dollars, is currently in much worse shape than reported through official channels.
Disadvantages of the F-35 Lightning II fighter
So, according to an investigation by Defense News, the disadvantages of the fighter include, in particular:
- The inability of the allies to use the ALIS (Autonomic Logistics Information System) logistics system without sending their own classified data on the operation of the aircraft to the United States;
- There are problems with the supply of spare parts to customers, the accounting of which is not provided or is carried out inaccurately by ALIS;
- There is a likelihood of barotrauma in case of sudden pressure surges in the cabin
- The electronics of the apparatus is lying, constantly giving erroneous information about the failure of the aircraft battery at temperatures of minus 34 degrees Celsius and below;
- At speeds above Mach 1.2, the F-35B and F-35C exhibit structural damage and bubble formation on the stealth coating;
- At angles of attack greater than 20 degrees, the control of the F-35B and F-35C may become unstable;
- There have been problems with the braking system of the F-35A and F-35B during landing;
- There are problems with the pilot's helmet-mounted display - a "green glow" appears on it, making it difficult to see when the aircraft is landing on the aircraft carrier;
- In low light conditions, a night vision camera may display “horizontal lines” that make it difficult to see the horizon when a fighter lands;
- Limited operation of the radar with an active phased antenna array AN / APG-81 over 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 sufficient thrust for a soft landing.
In the same report, Defense News recalls that as of January 2018, the F-35 had 111 Category 1 problems. In May of the same year, their number was reduced to 64.
The publication managed to get a comment from the Pentagon's F-35 Lightning II program manager, Vice Admiral Mat Winter, who said none of the current 13 issues posed a serious or catastrophic risk to pilots, mission or glider (subcategory 1-A). while the remaining flaws (1-B), although limiting the capabilities of the mission, can be eliminated in the near future.
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Winter also noted that the Pentagon intends to fix or downgrade nine deficiencies to Category 2, while the other two will be addressed by a future software update. The Pentagon decided not to fix the remaining two shortcomings (and it will do). Explaining the reasons for this decision, he stated that similar problems were discovered when the fighter was working at its limit.
Nikolay Khizhnyak