Air Force Fixes Glitches on F-22

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Air Force Fixes Glitches on F-22
Associated Press | February 28, 2007
WASHINGTON - The Air Force on Tuesday said it is fixing technological glitches in roughly 87 F-22 Raptor fighter jets after several aircraft computer systems earlier this month were disabled mid-flight.

The six stealth fighter jets - built by prime contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. and partner Boeing Co. - were participating in an inaugural 12-hour flight from Hawaii to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan on Feb. 10 when several aircraft computer systems experienced problems, an Air Force colonel said.

The computer glitches, which occurred as aircraft crossed the International Date Line, crippled navigation systems and hindered communications.

The incident was first reported on Feb. 12 by various media outlets. On Tuesday, the Air Force provided more details about the incident.

One pilot was able to contact contractor Lockheed Martin to troubleshoot the error during the flight, the Air Force said. Several pilots attempted to reboot the system with no success and returned to Hawaii with the help of aerial refueling tankers as a safety precaution.

Engineers were able to locate the problem within hours and fixed the glitch in a matter of days on the aircraft, according to the Air Force.

Lockheed Martin declined to provide further comment on additional costs of the upgrades.

It is common for pilots to experience operational problems during initial deployments, said analyst Loren Thompson of the Virginia-based Lexington Institute.

A senior Air Force officer told reporters on Tuesday there are no plans to conduct further testing on the F-22 Raptor.

"Until you really fly the aeroplane and do something that's when the rubber hits the road. Industry are developing any kind of computer or aeroplane system, and you will see there is no substitute for flying something," Col. Tom Bergeson, Operations Group Commander at the First Fighter Wing, told reporters on a conference call from Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.

The Raptor, built to fight the now defunct Soviet Union and worth roughly $70 million (euro52.9 million) including development costs, has been riddled with mechanical and political programs. Initial plans called for 750, but only 183 are now slated to be built under the proposed 2007 fiscal defense budget.

The Defense Department is requesting $2.78 billion (euro2.1 billion) in the 2007 budget under review by Congress.

Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed is responsible for the majority of the airframe, weapons systems and final assembly, while partner Chicago-based Boeing is tasked with providing the aircraft with wings, fuselage, avionics integration and training for pilots and maintenance.

Shares of Lockheed gained 4 cents to $97.61 in aftermarket trading, after dropping $3.55, or 3.5 percent, to $97.57 on the New York Stock Exchange, while shares of Boeing gained 1 cent to $87.21 in aftermarket trading, after dropping $1.73 to $87.20.