Time between F-35 software updates increased to cut down on flaws

In order to cut down on software issues for updates on the F-35, the Pentagon decided on a 12-month software cycle rather than a six-month one, the Department of Defense said on Thursday.

The development process for the F-35 Lightning II's Block 4 program has been "more flawed than expected," Acting Director of Operational Test and Evaluation Raymond O'Toole Jr. told Congress on Tuesday.

The process is supposed to deliver a "new, tested, and verified increment of software every six months," but the move to a 12-month cycle "might mitigate some of these issues."

The Department of Defense will invest to create the "test and evaluation infrastructure," O'Toole said.

The entire F-35 program, which is building what is regarded as the world's most advanced fighter plane, has cost nearly $1.8 trillion in development costs in the past 20 years.

Though the Pentagon envisioned purchasing 2,500 to replace aging fighter planes like the F-16, only about 500 aircraft have been produced.

Earlier this month, the Government Accountability Office estimated that costs to sustain and maintain the project will force the service to make cuts.

Spending projections are at $400 million to purchase the aircraft and another $1.27 trillion to operate and sustain them.

Military services already face tens of billions of dollars in sustainment costs with the U.S. Air Force facing the greatest potential increase in costs, according to the GAO.

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