| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program has faced software-related issues, particularly with the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), which is considered the 'brains' of the plane. The ALIS software is designed to support operations, mission planning, and maintenance issue spotting. Problems with the ALIS software have led to maintenance crews resorting to labor-intensive alternatives, such as manually burning data onto CDs and sending files across a civilian WiFi network. The software has been so flawed that it has caused delays and challenges in operations [47627].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program has faced challenges not only with its own software but also with the complex radar system. The software glitch in the radar system has interfered with the radar's ability to stay up and running during flight, posing a threat to the operational deployability of the jets. Additionally, a Pentagon report highlighted a list of potentially lethal bugs facing the jet, including issues with computer software related to fusion, electronic warfare, and weapons employment. These problems have led to ambiguous threat displays and limited ability to respond to threats [47627]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design |
(a) The software failure incident related to the development phase of design can be seen in the case of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), considered the 'brains' of the plane, faced issues leading to potential failures. The ALIS is designed to support operations, mission planning, and maintenance issue spotting. However, a failure in the ALIS could potentially take the entire fleet offline due to the lack of a backup system [47627].
(b) The software failure incident related to the development phase of operation can be observed in the case of the F-35's radar system. The complex radar system of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter experienced software glitches that interfered with the radar's ability to function properly during flight. This issue posed a significant threat to the USAF's plans to declare the jets operationally deployable [47627]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) The software failure incident related to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter can be categorized as within_system. The incident specifically involves issues with the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), which is considered the 'brains' of the plane [47627]. The ALIS software is designed to support operations, mission planning, maintenance issue spotting, and pilot performance review. Problems with the ALIS software have led to maintenance crews resorting to labor-intensive alternatives, such as manually burning data onto CDs and sending files across a civilian WiFi network [47627]. Additionally, the lack of testing of the ALIS software has raised concerns about its readiness for deployment by the Air Force and Navy [47627]. The failure of the ALIS software could potentially ground the entire fleet of F-35 aircraft, indicating an internal system issue.
(b) On the other hand, the incident also involves external factors contributing to the software failure. For example, the Pentagon's F-35 program office has been in negotiations with Lockheed over long-delayed contracts for the next two batches of F-35 jets, worth about $15 billion [47627]. Delays in contract negotiations and external financial considerations can be seen as factors originating from outside the system that have an impact on the software failure incident. Additionally, the program has faced challenges related to cost overruns and technical problems, which are external factors influencing the software development and deployment process [47627]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
- The software glitch affecting the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter's radar system was reported to interfere with the radar's ability to stay up and running during flight, posing a threat to operational deployability [47627].
- The Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), considered the 'brains' of the plane, was identified as a critical component that experienced issues leading to potential fleet grounding. The failure of ALIS, a non-human system, could take the entire fleet offline due to the lack of a backup system [47627].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
- The report highlighted that the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) incorrectly authorized older or inappropriate replacement parts, indicating a potential failure introduced by human actions [47627].
- The Pentagon report revealed a list of potentially lethal bugs facing the F-35 jet, including problems with computer software related to fusion, electronic warfare, and weapons employment. These issues could result in ambiguous threat displays and limited ability to respond to threats, potentially linked to human actions during software development and implementation [47627]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware:
- The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter faced a hardware-related issue with its complex radar system that kept crashing, affecting the AN/APG-81 AESA radar's ability to work in flight [47627].
- The ejection seat of the F-35 also posed a hardware-related risk, as pilots under certain weight limits had a higher chance of serious neck injury or death upon ejecting due to the seat's design [47627].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to software:
- The primary software-related issue was with the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), described as the 'brains' of the plane, which supports operations, mission planning, maintenance issue spotting, and pilot performance review. ALIS faced functionality problems, and a lack of testing meant it was not ready for deployment by the Air Force and Navy [47627].
- The F-35's computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) had software flaws, including incorrectly authorizing replacement parts and failing to detect if the aircraft had been flying too fast. It also randomly prevented user logins into the control system [47627].
- The software running on ground computers for the F-35 was highlighted as a potential issue, as it needed to be fully functional for the aircraft to operate as intended [47627]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The articles do not mention any malicious software failure incidents related to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
(b) The software failure incidents related to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter are non-malicious in nature. The issues with the software, particularly the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), were not intentional acts to harm the system but rather technical challenges faced during the development and testing phases of the aircraft [47627]. The software glitches, radar stability problems, delays in software testing, and issues with the computer software were all non-malicious failures that impacted the functionality and readiness of the F-35 aircraft. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program can be attributed to poor decisions. The Pentagon's director of testing, Michael Gilmore, warned that the F-35 program was "not on a path toward success but instead on a path toward failing to deliver" the plane's full combat capabilities on time [47627]. Additionally, a Government Accountability Office report highlighted that a failure in the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), considered the 'brains' of the plane, could potentially take the entire fleet offline due to the lack of a backup system [47627]. These instances point towards poor decisions and planning in the development and implementation of the software for the F-35 program. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to development incompetence:
The software failure incident related to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program can be attributed to development incompetence. The Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), considered the 'brains' of the plane, faced significant issues leading to the grounding of the entire fleet. The ALIS software, designed to support operations and maintenance, had flaws that required labor-intensive workarounds, such as manually burning data onto CDs and sending files over civilian WiFi networks. Additionally, the lack of testing and functionality problems with ALIS could result in substantial additional costs and operational challenges [47627].
(b) The software failure incident occurring accidentally:
The software failure incident related to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program can also be seen as an accidental failure. For instance, the complex radar system of the F-35 had a software glitch that interfered with the radar's ability to function properly in flight. This issue was described as 'radar stability' problems, where the radar would need to be restarted due to signals indicating degradation or failure. Furthermore, a Pentagon report highlighted potentially lethal bugs in the jet's computer software, impacting areas like fusion, electronic warfare, and weapons employment, leading to ambiguous threat displays and limited response capabilities [47627]. |
| Duration |
permanent, temporary |
The software failure incident related to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program can be categorized as both permanent and temporary.
(a) Permanent: The software failure incident can be considered permanent due to contributing factors introduced by all circumstances. The Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), described as the 'brains' of the plane, had issues that could potentially ground the entire fleet if a failure occurred, as there was no backup system in place [47627]. Additionally, the ALIS software was found to have flaws that required maintenance crews to resort to labor-intensive alternatives, such as manually burning data onto CDs and sending files across a civilian WiFi network [47627].
(b) Temporary: The software failure incident can also be seen as temporary due to contributing factors introduced by certain circumstances but not all. For example, the radar software glitch that interfered with the F-35's radar system working in flight was described as a problem with radar stability, requiring radar restarts but not a complete permanent failure [47627]. Furthermore, the computer software issues, including problems in fusion, electronic warfare, and weapons employment, were identified as issues that could be resolved through further development and testing efforts [47627]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, timing, value, byzantine, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident related to a crash can be seen in the article where it mentions that problems with the complex radar system of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter caused the radar to crash, interfering with its ability to work in flight [47627].
(b) omission: The software failure incident related to omission can be observed in the article discussing the issue with the logistics software system of the F-35, known as the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS). The ALIS software was not fully functional, which meant the F-35 could not be operated as frequently as intended [47627].
(c) timing: The software failure incident related to timing can be identified in the article where it mentions delays in the development schedule of the F-35, causing deliveries to be delayed and costs to skyrocket. The development schedule of the aircraft stretched to 15 years, indicating a timing failure in meeting the expected deadlines [47627].
(d) value: The software failure incident related to a value failure can be seen in the article discussing the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) of the F-35. The CMMS incorrectly authorized older or inappropriate replacement parts, indicating a failure in performing its intended function correctly [47627].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident related to a byzantine behavior can be observed in the article discussing the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) of the F-35. The ALIS software had functionality problems, and a lack of testing was done, leading to potential additional costs and issues with maintenance [47627].
(f) other: The software failure incident related to other behavior can be seen in the article where it mentions that the F-35 data produced goes through a single main operating unit with no backup, leading to potential problems and challenges in maintaining the aircraft [47627]. |