Bogdan Withholds Judgment on F-35 Software Improvements

Bogdan Withholds Judgment on F-35 Software Improvements: There are more than 10 million lines of code in the F-35 strike fighter, so it’s not surprising that the program has fallen a bit behind, said Maj. Gen. Christopher Bogdan, deputy program executive officer of the Joint Strike Fighter program. In fact, over the last two years the F-35 software development has fallen between 90 and 100 days behind schedule, depending on who you ask. However, Bogdan said both F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin and the joint program office “recognize that software is a huge risk and we have to do business a little different.” Because of the complexity involved in the software, program officials have broken its capabilities into three blocks. They are in the process of delivering Block 2A software right now and ramping up for block 2B, said Bogdan. Block 3 is the final integration of the software into the aircraft and by far the most complicated, but the delays in Block 2 will not necessarily affect Block 3, he said. “Over the last six months we’ve put a concerted effort into improving government oversight and Lockheed Martin processes,” said Bogdan. He added, “I will withhold judgment as to whether [these changes] will make a huge difference or not.”