F-35 is an all software airplane. Apparently it needs software to do anything. It's been flying on an early version of software that provides "basic aviate and navigate" functionality, but cannot launch missiles or even drop bombs. Next software version, 2B, offers some fighting capability but is pretty flaky. The report talks about "poor sensor performance and stability, excessive nuisance warnings, and disproportionate pilot workload required for workarounds and system resets". The Pentagon chief of testing thinks it will take a year to get software release 2B straightened out. The Marine Corps wants to start flying for real in six months. They can't both be right.
The Aviation Week article did not mention whether the software was written in the DOD miracle programming language ADA, which was supposed to make software development quicker and easier. Nor does it mention how capable the processor[s] are or what brand they are.
Lots of luck to the F-35 programmers, they will need it.
No comments:
Post a Comment