The F-35 Fighter Jet Program Has Precisely 719 Problems

[xchrom]

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/10/the-f-35-fighter-jet-program-has-precisely-719-problems/280193/



***SNIP


The IG’s 126-page report concluded that prime contractor Lockheed Martin and its subcontractors Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, L-3 Display Systems, Honeywell Aerospace and United Technologies Corporation “did not follow disciplined AS9100 Quality Management System practices,” citing 363 findings, which documented 719 issues that could “adversely affect aircraft performance, reliability, maintainability, and ultimately cost.”

Among the numerous oversight shortcomings, the IG found that JPO failed to:

Ensure that Lockheed Martin and its subcontractors were applying rigor to design, manufacturing, and quality assurance processes.

Flow down critical safety item requirements.

Ensure that Lockheed Martin flowed down quality assurance and technical requirements to subcontractors.

Establish an effective quality assurance organization.

Ensure that the Defense Contract Management Agency perform adequate quality assurance oversight.

In addition, the Defense Contract Management Agency did not sufficiently perform Government quality assurance oversight of F-35 contractors.

[NuclearDem]

1. 1. It doesn't work.

#2-719: See #1.

[xchrom]

7. yes. the White Courtesy Obvious Phone has been ringing off the hook. nt

[Orrex]

2. As an aircraft design, it's a failure, but it has succeeded marvelously in its actual goal

[geek tragedy]

3. I got 719 problems, but a lack of funding ain't one nt

[doc03]

4. Like the Republicans keep saying about Obamacare the wheels are falling off

shut it down. That won't happen.

[NuclearDem]

5. Does ObamaCare cover the war boner for the F35?

If so, good, because it apparently has lasted well over 4 hours for Lockheed.

[Cooley Hurd]

6. The question I have is...

...all of the technologies employed in this aircraft are proven. WHY, when they're drawn together, is THIS aircraft a clusterfuck?

I'm a Lockheed fan (Loughead, for the purists) of the Skunk Works and Kelly Johnson. Where did they go wrong?? (perhaps the Martin-Marietta merger???).

Corporatism has been ruining the country for the last 30 years - and affecting our national security!

[A HERETIC I AM]

8. Problem 720; Usage of bullshit, nonsensical, corporate doublespeak words....

like "Flow Down".

Jesus H. Christ making balloon animals.

[zipplewrath]

9. You do realize

The list you posted was a list of the JPO (Joint Program Office) failings, not LMCO. The JPO is basically a government entity. I suspect the 719 issues are similar, or related anyway. Although I hope they got more than this because this is predominately a complaint that they weren't following standard practices, not that something doesn't actually work.

[onethatcares]

10. jeez,as a carpenter I can see what went wrong

"did not follow disciplined AS9100 Quality Management System practices".

It boils down to "place proper nail here to hold wall together".

Or they know how to milk the taxpayer teat for all it's worth. Which is what I believe is the truth.

BTW. Who the hell are we protecting ourselves from with this thing? Somali pirates or Afgani insurgents?

[BluegrassStateBlues]

12. A hunk of junk...

and a waste of money.

[FarCenter]

13. This is mostly about the paperwork, not the plane

These are 719 deviations from QA requirements of the AS9100 Quality Management System.

A small number may affect performance, safety, etc. of the actual aircraft.

Done properly, the paper likely outweighs the aircraft.

[Orsino]

14. But a Mitch ain't one. n/t