F-35 easy to shoot down, U.S. pilots say
Air force report identifies huge number of faults in jet fighters
A scathing Pentagon report leaked this week has identified a huge number of problems facing the U.S. military’s F-35 fleet — including fears it can easily be shot down.
From radars that don’t work, to blurry vision from the aircraft’s sophisticated helmet, to an inability to fly through clouds, the report — which includes pilot comments — paints a picture of a jet nowhere near ready for real-life operations.
F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin noted that, despite the criticisms, the Pentagon is moving ahead on training the first cadre of U.S. air force pilots.
But the revelations will likely give Canadian military planners pause as they continue assessing options for replacing Canada’s aging CF18s.
The February report from the Pentagon’s chief testing office is based on a trial run at the Eglin Air Force Base in Florida from September to November of last year.
The testing, to determine whether aircraft the U.S. had already bought from Lockheed Martin were good enough to start training U.S. fighter pilots with, was supposed to have taken place in August 2011.
But it had to be postponed because a number of critical issues were identified in the aircraft — the majority of which remained unresolved more than a year later.
Because those problems — including issues with the ejection seat — hadn’t been resolved, only experienced U.S. air force pilots were allowed to participate in the two-month test.
In addition, a second aircraft had to follow the first at all times, and engine starts had to be monitored with special equipment to reduce the likelihood of a fire.
Even then, the testing was extremely basic and “did not cover ... in essence, everything that makes the F-35A a modern, advanced fighter,” reads the report, obtained by the Washington-based watchdog group Project on Government Oversight.
“Aircraft operating limitations prohibit flying the aircraft at night or in instrument meteorological conditions,” the report reads, “hence pilots must avoid clouds and other weather.
“These restrictions are in place because testing has not been completed to certify the aircraft for night and instrument flight,” the report adds. “The aircraft is also currently prohibited from flying close formation, aerobatics, and stalls.”
The report also notes that the F-35A, the version the Canadian government had intended to buy, “does not yet have the capability to train in ... any actual combat capability, because it is still early in system development.”
Meanwhile, feedback from the four pilots chosen to take part in the testing was also extremely critical.
The pilots, all of whom had at least 1,000 hours in other U.S. fighter jets, complained the radar was often not working, their state-ofthe-art helmets gave them double vision or blurry vision and their flight suits were too hot.
They also blasted a design feature that they said made it difficult, if not impossible, to see “aft,” or behind them — a serious threat to the aircraft’s ability to fight.
“The headrest is too large and will impede aft visibility and survivability during surface and air engagements,” one pilot was quoted as saying. “Aft visibility will get the pilot gunned (killed) every time.”
The report also found problems with maintenance.
For example, mechanics are supposed to be able to remove the engine and install a new one in two hours, but the mean time was 52 hours — or more than two days.
The aircraft also experienced difficulties when the overnight temperature dropped below 15C — an occurrence that will be extremely common in Canada.
“To mitigate this problem, maintenance crews put jets in heated hangars overnight,” the report reads.
“Moving jets in and out of a hangar to keep them warm involves five personnel for three to four hours per shift. The parking of flyable jets in hangar also interfered with maintenance because these flyable jets occupied space that would otherwise be used for jets requiring repair.”
The report also found the aircraft were not as reliable as expected because many required more maintenance than anticipated.
Despite the significant issues identified in the report, the Pentagon declared in December that the F-35A was ready to begin extended pilot training while continuing to iron out the identified problems.
A Lockheed Martin spokesman said that speaks to the aircraft’s capabilities and continuing maturity.
“The Air Force concluded through its (evaluation) that the F-35 is ready to conduct safe and effective flying training operations,” Lockheed Martin spokesman Keelan Green said in a statement.
“Furthermore, Lockheed Martin continues to mature operational and maintenance procedures while refining standard operating and tactical procedures for flying the aircraft.”