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Status of F-35 – Senate Armed Services Committee Statement [pdf]

armed-services.senate.gov

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Re: Status of F-35 – Senate Armed Services Committee Statement [pdf]

#2
TLDR: The delays are due to software problems and the plane wont be kinda ready until end of 2018.

Software Development is going to be a competitive advantage in warfare as well. From what I have heard, DoD has some really interesting practices on building software (code review each line with physical printouts, etc), which in combination with scope creep might be the cause of this slowness.

Re: Status of F-35 – Senate Armed Services Committee Statement [pdf]

#3
post #2

TLDR: The delays are due to software problems and the plane wont be kinda ready until end of 2018. Software Development is going to be a competitive advantage in warfare as well. From what I have heard, DoD has some really interesting practices on building software (code review each line with physical printouts, etc), which in combination with scope creep might be the cause of this slowness.

Those practices might be appropriate for a combat plane.

Re: Status of F-35 – Senate Armed Services Committee Statement [pdf]

#4
post #2

TLDR: The delays are due to software problems and the plane wont be kinda ready until end of 2018. Software Development is going to be a competitive advantage in warfare as well. From what I have heard, DoD has some really interesting practices on building software (code review each line with physical printouts, etc), which in combination with scope creep might be the cause of this slowness.

"Software Development is going to be a competitive advantage"

Let me fix that: if done well.

Re: Status of F-35 – Senate Armed Services Committee Statement [pdf]

#5
post #3
post #2

TLDR: The delays are due to software problems and the plane wont be kinda ready until end of 2018. Software Development is going to be a competitive advantage in warfare as well. From what I have heard, DoD has some really interesting practices on building software (code review each line with physical printouts, etc), which in combination with scope creep might be the cause of this slowness.

Those practices might be appropriate for a combat plane.

So basically F35 is a plane embedded in a software. Why not have embedded computers in a decent plane? lol.

Re: Status of F-35 – Senate Armed Services Committee Statement [pdf]

#7
post #2

TLDR: The delays are due to software problems and the plane wont be kinda ready until end of 2018. Software Development is going to be a competitive advantage in warfare as well. From what I have heard, DoD has some really interesting practices on building software (code review each line with physical printouts, etc), which in combination with scope creep might be the cause of this slowness.

Fagan-style code review is likely a net productivity gain over no-reviews-at-all. Sure, scope creep is a killer, but I'd imagine it's a herculean task to create software for a new fighter. The expectation would likely be that software could control and/or monitor many features that would not have been software-controlled in previous generations. Safety requirements for flight (active life support) and armaments would be a huge burden.

Re: Status of F-35 – Senate Armed Services Committee Statement [pdf]

#8
The F-35 is becoming the definitive example of how scope creep destroys a project. A system designed to do everything for everyone. When it should be designed to do one thing better than everything else.

Divide the F-35 into three different attack aircraft. Single engine CAS with STOVL capability. Big/fast/stealthy twin engine bomber. Carrier based attack drone. All three would likely fulfill their roles better for lower total cost and be operational on a shorter timeframe.

The F-35 reminds me of this short story by A. C. Clarke

http://www.mayofamily.com/RLM/txt_Clarke_Superiority.html

And this scene from pentagon wars:

https://youtu.be/aXQ2lO3ieBA

Re: Status of F-35 – Senate Armed Services Committee Statement [pdf]

#9
post #6

I really think it's a shame that they moved to the F-35, instead of just continuing to produce F-22s. Stupid export ban. Then again, the extra payload may have been worth it.

The unit production cost (the cost of building an aircraft, not including amortized R&D) for the F-22A is about 50% higher than for the F-35A. You could certainly argue that two F-22As is better than three F-35As, but that is an issue that needs to be considered.

Furthermore, the F-22A was already running into parts obsolescence issues when I was working on it (2002 - 2006). Those would have continued to get worse had production expanded or continued. The F-35A was (supposedly) designed to better handle those issues.

Re: Status of F-35 – Senate Armed Services Committee Statement [pdf]

#10
post #2

TLDR: The delays are due to software problems and the plane wont be kinda ready until end of 2018. Software Development is going to be a competitive advantage in warfare as well. From what I have heard, DoD has some really interesting practices on building software (code review each line with physical printouts, etc), which in combination with scope creep might be the cause of this slowness.

I think a lot of the issue is not the software on the plane but the software that manages maintenance, logistics and support; without that working the plane is sitting on the tarmac not doing anything.
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