F-35 Flight Tests Resume After Software Corrections

Flight tests of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter have been resumed after corrections were made to the fuel system software.

On 1 October Lockheed Martin suspended flight tests of all three models of the F-35 fighter jet following discovery of a malfunction in the fuel system software.

The software anomaly, which could cause a fuel boost pump to shut down in flight, had been discovered during normal ground testing.

The F-35 contains three fuel pumps that power Pratt & Whitney F135 engines.

The radar-evading F-35 is the Pentagon’s costliest acquisition, costing $382bn.

The US is jointly developing the F-35 with eight foreign partners, including the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway.