If you have ever tried to get some help from tech support chances are you’ve been thrown the “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” question a few times. As absurd as that may sound, the fix actually works sometimes, but it’s not that worrying anyway if you’re just trying to get your computer to work. It’s actually a bit more hilarious when pilots have to use the very same technique to fix a radar glitch on the F-35 fighter jet.
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has been a very costly program for the United States Air Force. It has not been without its problems which is why the program is often criticized. The latest glitch involves the radar which stops working mid-flight and requires the pilots to turn it off and on again.
F-35 has been in development since 2001 and it’s the most software-reliant fighter jet ever created. The process has been a long one there have been many problems along the way which have added millions of dollars to the final cost of the F-35.
USAF major general Harrigan mentioned to an analyst firm if the pilots get a signal that says radar degrade or radar fail they have to restart the radar. That’s not how it’s always going to be, though.
He mentions that Lockheed Martin has found the root cause of the problem and it’s now in the process of developing a solution and testing it through the software lab. The latest round of bug fixes for this next-generation warplane are expected to be delivered to the United States Air Force by the end of this month.
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