Incident: F-35B Joint Strike Fighters Grounded Due to ALIS Software Flaws

Published Date: 2017-06-23

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident with the F-35B Joint Strike Fighters in Arizona due to flaws in the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) occurred in June 2017 as per the article published on June 23, 2017 [60467].
System 1. Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) [60467] 2. ALIS 2.0.2 software upgrade [60467]
Responsible Organization 1. The software failure incident with the F-35B Joint Strike Fighters in Arizona was caused by flaws in the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) computer system [60467].
Impacted Organization 1. The Marine Corps - The F-35B Joint Strike Fighters in Arizona were grounded due to flaws in the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) [60467]. 2. The 56th Fighter Wing of Luke Air Force Base, Arizona - The F-35s at this base were grounded due to incidents of hypoxia, which prompted the investigation into the software issues [60467].
Software Causes 1. Flaws in the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) software [60467] 2. Anomalies with the ALIS 2.0.2 software upgrade [60467] 3. Software bugs and technical glitches [60467]
Non-software Causes 1. Lack of oxygen supply causing symptoms of hypoxia in pilots, leading to grounding of F-35s [60467]. 2. Anomalies with the latest ALIS 2.0.2 software upgrade prompting the grounding of F-35s in Squadron 211 [60467].
Impacts 1. The software failure incident related to flaws in the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) led to the grounding of dozens of F-35B Joint Strike Fighters in Arizona [60467]. 2. The grounding of the F-35 stealth fighters for 11 days impacted the training of pilots from the US and other air forces that are buying the jet [60467]. 3. The software failure incident caused delays in operations for the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 stationed in Yuma [60467]. 4. The incident raised concerns about the safety and performance of the aircraft, leading to the need to ensure the ground-based ALIS system was working properly before resuming operations [60467].
Preventions 1. Proper testing and validation of the ALIS software upgrade before deployment could have potentially prevented the software failure incident [60467]. 2. Implementing a more robust software development process with thorough quality assurance measures to catch any anomalies or issues in the software upgrade [60467]. 3. Regular monitoring and maintenance of the ALIS system to ensure its proper functioning and to address any potential issues proactively [60467].
Fixes 1. Conduct a thorough investigation to identify the root cause of the issue with the ALIS 2.0.2 software upgrade that led to anomalies and grounding of the F-35B Joint Strike Fighters in Arizona [60467]. 2. Implement necessary software patches or updates to address the flaws in the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) that transmits details about the jet's mechanical condition to the ground-based computer system [60467]. 3. Enhance testing procedures for software upgrades to ensure compatibility and stability with the F-35 aircraft systems to prevent future incidents of grounding due to software issues [60467].
References 1. Maj. Gen. Mark Wise, commander of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing based at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station [60467] 2. Lockheed Martin, the maker of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft [60467] 3. Base spokeswoman Major Rebecca Heyse [60467] 4. Brig. Gen. Brook Leonard, the 56th Fighter Wing commander [60467] 5. U.S. Air Force [60467] 6. Defence News [60467]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization, multiple_organization (a) The software failure incident related to the F-35B Joint Strike Fighters in Arizona due to flaws in the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) has happened again within the same organization. The article mentions that the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 in Yuma had to ground its F-35s due to anomalies with the latest ALIS 2.0.2 software upgrade [60467]. (b) The software failure incident related to the F-35s experiencing hypoxia issues and being grounded has also happened at another organization. The 56th Fighter Wing of Luke Air Force Base in Arizona grounded its F-35s due to pilots experiencing symptoms of hypoxia, and investigators were unable to identify a root cause of the issue [60467].
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the article where flaws were found in the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) that transmits details about a jet's mechanical condition to the ground-based computer system. The issues were specifically related to the ALIS 2.0.2 software upgrade, which led to anomalies and necessitated the grounding of the F-35B Joint Strike Fighters in Arizona [60467]. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is evident in the article where pilots experienced symptoms of hypoxia, or lack of oxygen, during flights of the F-35 planes. This operational issue prompted the grounding of the planes, and investigations were conducted to identify the root cause, including maintenance and aircrew flight equipment procedures [60467].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system, outside_system (a) The software failure incident related to the F-35B Joint Strike Fighters in Arizona was primarily within the system. The article mentions that the grounding of the F-35s was due to flaws found in the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), which is an internal computer system transmitting details about the jet's mechanical condition [60467]. The issues with the ALIS software, specifically the latest ALIS 2.0.2 software upgrade, led to anomalies and the need to ensure the ground-based ALIS system was working properly before operations could continue [60467]. (b) Additionally, the incident involved external factors contributing to the failure. For example, the grounding of the F-35s was also related to an oxygen-supply problem aboard the warplanes, which was an external factor affecting the aircraft's operation [60467]. The article mentions that investigators were unable to identify a root cause of the oxygen-supply issue, which prompted the grounding of the planes [60467].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident in the F-35B Joint Strike Fighters was primarily due to non-human actions. The incident was related to flaws found in the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) that transmits details about the jet's mechanical condition to the ground-based computer system. This system allows for automatic scheduling of maintenance for the aircraft [60467]. (b) Human actions also played a role in the software failure incident. Major Gen. Mark Wise, commander of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, made the decision to suspend flights for Squadron 211 due to anomalies with the latest ALIS 2.0.2 software upgrade. Additionally, experts are continuing to probe the issue of pilots experiencing symptoms of hypoxia, and precautionary steps are being taken, such as increasing the minimum levels for backup oxygen systems for each flight [60467].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware, software (a) The software failure incident related to hardware can be seen in the article where the F-35 stealth fighters were grounded due to an oxygen-supply problem aboard the expensive warplanes [60467]. This issue led to pilots experiencing symptoms of hypoxia, or lack of oxygen, which was a hardware-related problem with the aircraft's oxygen supply system. (b) The software failure incident related to software can be observed in the same article where flaws were found in the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) of the F-35 jets, which transmits details about a jet's mechanical condition to the ground-based computer system [60467]. The grounding of the F-35s was due to anomalies with the latest ALIS 2.0.2 software upgrade, highlighting a software-related issue affecting the aircraft's maintenance scheduling system.
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident related to the F-35B Joint Strike Fighters in Arizona was non-malicious. The incident was caused by flaws in the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) that transmits details about a jet's mechanical condition to the ground-based computer system. The issues with the ALIS system led to the grounding of the F-35s for maintenance and safety checks, but there was no indication of any malicious intent behind the software failure incident [60467].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) unknown (a) The software failure incident related to the grounding of F-35B Joint Strike Fighters in Arizona was not due to poor decisions but rather due to anomalies with the latest ALIS 2.0.2 software upgrade. Maj. Gen. Mark Wise mentioned that there was nothing wrong with the performance or safety of the aircraft itself, but it was imperative to ensure the ground-based ALIS system was working properly before operations continued [60467]. This indicates that the failure was not due to poor decisions but rather a need to ensure the software system was functioning correctly.
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) development_incompetence, accidental (a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the article. The grounding of the F-35B Joint Strike Fighters in Arizona was due to flaws found in the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) computer system. The article mentions that the grounding was a result of anomalies with the latest ALIS 2.0.2 software upgrade, indicating issues with the software development process [60467]. (b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is also highlighted in the article. The grounding of the F-35s was prompted by incidents where pilots experienced symptoms of hypoxia, or lack of oxygen, due to an oxygen-supply problem. Investigators were unable to identify a root cause of the issue, and specific concerns were eliminated as possible causes, indicating an accidental nature of the problem [60467].
Duration temporary The software failure incident related to the F-35B Joint Strike Fighters in Arizona was temporary. The incident led to the grounding of the F-35 stealth fighters for 11 days due to anomalies with the ALIS 2.0.2 software upgrade [60467]. The grounding was necessary to ensure the ground-based ALIS system was working properly before operations could continue. Additionally, the article mentions that the software issue prompted the 56th Fighter Wing of Luke Air Force Base to ground its F-35s, but specific concerns were eliminated as possible causes, indicating a temporary nature of the failure [60467].
Behaviour other (a) crash: The software failure incident in the F-35B Joint Strike Fighters was not a crash where the system lost state and did not perform any of its intended functions. The issue was related to anomalies with the ALIS software upgrade, which led to the grounding of the aircraft for maintenance checks [60467]. (b) omission: The software failure incident was not due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). The ALIS system was transmitting details about the jet's mechanical condition to the ground-based computer system, but the anomalies in the software required maintenance checks to ensure proper functioning [60467]. (c) timing: The software failure incident was not due to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The issue with the ALIS software upgrade did not involve timing issues but rather anomalies that required grounding the aircraft for maintenance checks [60467]. (d) value: The software failure incident was not due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The issue with the ALIS software was related to anomalies that needed to be addressed to ensure the proper functioning of the ground-based computer system [60467]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident was not due to the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The ALIS system was identified as the source of the problem, and steps were taken to investigate and address the anomalies in the software upgrade to resume operations safely [60467]. (f) other: The software failure incident in the F-35B Joint Strike Fighters was primarily related to anomalies in the ALIS software upgrade, which necessitated grounding the aircraft for maintenance checks. The incident did not involve a crash, omission, timing issue, value error, or byzantine behavior [60467].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception processing_unit, embedded_software (a) sensor: The software failure incident related to the F-35B Joint Strike Fighters in Arizona was not directly attributed to a sensor error. The grounding of the aircraft was due to flaws found in the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), which transmits details about the jet's mechanical condition to the ground-based computer system [60467]. (b) actuator: The articles did not mention any issues related to actuators contributing to the software failure incident involving the F-35B Joint Strike Fighters in Arizona. (c) processing_unit: The software failure incident was linked to anomalies with the ALIS 2.0.2 software upgrade, which is part of the processing unit responsible for automatically scheduling maintenance for the aircraft. The commander of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing made the call to suspend flights for Squadron 211 due to these anomalies with the latest software upgrade [60467]. (d) network_communication: The failure was not directly attributed to network communication errors in the articles. (e) embedded_software: The failure was related to the embedded software error within the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) that transmits details about the jet's mechanical condition to the ground-based computer system. The ALIS system is crucial for planning, maintaining, and sustaining the F-35 Lightning II aircraft over its lifespan [60467].
Communication unknown The software failure incident reported in Article 60467 was not directly related to the communication layer of the cyber-physical system. The issue was specifically related to flaws found in the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) of the F-35B Joint Strike Fighters. The ALIS is responsible for transmitting details about the jet's mechanical condition to the ground-based computer system, enabling automatic scheduling of maintenance for the aircraft. The problems with the ALIS software led to the grounding of the F-35B fighters in Arizona. This indicates that the failure was more related to the internal software system rather than the communication layer of the cyber-physical system [60467].
Application FALSE The software failure incident reported in Article 60467 was not related to the application layer of the cyber physical system. The failure was specifically related to flaws found in the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) of the F-35B Joint Strike Fighters, which transmits details about the jet's mechanical condition to the ground-based computer system for maintenance scheduling. This indicates that the failure was more related to the ALIS system itself rather than the application layer of the cyber physical system [60467].

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence property, non-human, theoretical_consequence (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure The software failure incident related to the F-35B Joint Strike Fighters in Arizona caused the grounding of the aircraft due to flaws found in the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) [60467]. This system transmits details about a jet's mechanical condition to the ground-based computer system, allowing for automatic scheduling of maintenance for the aircraft. The grounding of the F-35s was a result of anomalies with the latest ALIS 2.0.2 software upgrade, impacting the operations of the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 in Yuma [60467]. Additionally, the grounding of the Lockheed Martin planes was due to incidents of pilots experiencing symptoms of hypoxia, leading to concerns about the safety and performance of the aircraft [60467]. These incidents resulted in property damage and financial impact due to the need for maintenance and investigation into the software-related issues.
Domain government (a) The failed system in this incident was related to the defense industry, specifically the Marine Corps' F-35B Joint Strike Fighters. The software failure incident affected the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) that transmits details about the jet's mechanical condition to the ground-based computer system, which is crucial for maintenance scheduling and operations of the aircraft [60467].

Sources

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