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Software Bug in F-35 Radar Causes Mid-Flight System Reboot

Posted by msmash on from the embarrassing-software-bugs-montage dept.

Reader Lisandro writes: The F-35 Fighter jet can't seem to catch a break. An advanced AN/APG-81 AESA F35 radar system has been found riddled with a software bug that causes it to degrade and stop working. The solution? Rebooting the system while in the air.

Major General Jeffrey Harrigian, director of the Air Force's F-35 integration office at the Pentagon, was quoted as saying "radar stability - the radar's ability to stay up and running. [...] What would happen is they'd get a signal that says either a radar degrade or a radar fail - "something that would force us to restart the radar." The issue was spotted in late 2015, and thankfully, it was caught during the testing period. The software version "3i" is affected. An update aimed to resolve the bug is expected to be delivered to the US Air Force by the end of March.

7 of 153 comments (clear)

  1. Nothing to see here by Freshly+Exhumed · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh come on, who here hasn't had to reboot during air to air combat?

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    1. Re:Nothing to see here by Feral+Nerd · · Score: 5, Funny

      Oh come on, who here hasn't had to reboot during air to air combat?

      ... a problem that is aggravated by system's insisting on the installation of innumerable update packages on every reboot.

      MISSILE LAUNCH DETECTED!!!
      Installing radar software update 3 of 68....
      MISSILE APPROACH WARNING!!!
      Installing radar software update 3 of 68....
      MISSILE APPROACH WARNING!!!
      Installing radar software update 3 of 68....
      MISSILE APPROACH WARNING!!!
      Installing radar software update 3 of 68....
      MISSILE APPROACH WARNING!!!
      Installing radar software update 3 of 68....
      MISSILE IMPACT IMMINENT, EJECT! EJECT!
      Installing radar software update 4 of 68....
      For this update you need Microsoft Silverlight, install Silverlight [Y/N]:

    2. Re:Nothing to see here by sumdumass · · Score: 5, Funny

      You forgot we recommend you upgrade to Windows 10.

    3. Re:Nothing to see here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      thank you for calling ITI Advanced Combat Systems

      please press 1 if you are in a combat situation other wise please hold for the next technician
      beep
      please in put your mission number
      beep boop beep booop beeep boop beep boop beep beeep boop boop beep boop beep
      mission verification complete we will now transfer you to a support technician
      hold music

      thank you for calling ITI may name is nahmeed how may i help you

      look budy my radar is froze up and im dodging a mig 35 at the moment how about you fix this thing so i can take this sucker out.

      im sorry to hear about that sir what ITI system are you calling about?
      the radar !!
      i understand sir but we have a lot of radar systems do you know the model number ?
      no! ... its the radar in the f-35.

      ok very good sir i can look that up . please hold ...
      more hold music
      sir you still there ??
      yes i am i dont know how much longer im going to be able to shake this mig.
      thats fine sir , can you tell me what firm revision of the radar you are using ?

      what ?? i dont know all i know is that its stuck with the same blips thats been on the screen for the last 15 minutes and nothing has changed . look just log in and fix it .

      i would be happy to sir . let me know when you have landed the plane and come to a full stop and all weapon systems are in their safe position .

      are you kidding me ?? i cant land this plane right now this mig will make mince meat of me once i stop evasive maneuvers.

      ah i see sir unfortunately i can not help you until the planes is at a full stop and all weapons are safe.

      is there any thing else i can do for you

      yeah how about you.... shzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzsssssssssssss

      sir hello are you there ?
      hello sir ??
      thank you for calling ITI i hope you found this session helpful please reply to the survey at the end of this call. have a good day

    4. Re:Nothing to see here by Coisiche · · Score: 3, Funny

      My first thought was alternate movie dialog.

      Maverick: Talk to me Goose... Where's the bogey?

      Goose: Uh... hang on a moment Maverick, we're just going through a reboot... any... minute... now...

  2. "Hi, tech support?" by Snufu · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Yaeh, my jet is plummeting to earth at mach 3. Any suggestions?"

    "Have you tried turning off and on again?"

  3. Version what? by ma++i+ude · · Score: 5, Funny

    The software version "3i" is affected.

    As a general rule, when your version numbering system needs to use complex numbers, something's going wrong with your project.

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