Share Facebook

Twitter

Whatsapp

Mail

Whatsapp The Joint Strike Fighter has been plagued by problems, but Australia intends to purchase 72 of the planes.

The Joint Strike Fighter was supposed to be here four years ago, but it's still unfinished, and the latest test reports out of the US detail a long list of problems. Sarah Dingle reports.

When it comes to the Joint Strike Fighter jet, our most expensive defence acquisition yet, Australia is either a nation of rich optimists or fools, according to the man who until recently was the head of test and evaluation for the Australian Defence Force.

We might end up with 72 of them and then find out what they can't do or can do.

A Background Briefing investigation has been told not only does Australia not participate in the testing of the troubled jet, we don't even have our test agencies read the US test reports.

Even the Australian program manager for the JSF, Air Vice Marshal Chris Deeble, is unsure how many of our latest order of these multi-billion-dollar jets are currently in production.

Australia bought into the JSF program 14 years ago, but the jet—billed as an advanced stealth fighter with cutting edge technology—is still in development.

The latest US test reports describe a litany of problems. For instance, at temperatures of 32 degrees or higher, when internal stores are loaded, the JSF has to open its weapons bay doors every 10 minutes on the ground, and sometimes in the air, to prevent overheating.

Chris Mills, a former wing commander with the RAAF, says this causes real problems.

'When they open the weapons bay doors, it loses its low observability,' he says. 'So you get a great big flare saying "Oh, guess what, we've got a JSF here."

'In addition, every time you open the weapons bay doors you heat and cool the weapons, and electronics hates that, so you get a very high failure rate.'

If the pilot weighs less than 75 kilograms, and needs to eject, there's a 23 per cent chance the software-heavy helmet will snap their neck and kill them.

Mills says the JSF has a nickname among the top guns of the US Air Force: 'the little turd'.

But the man who until a year ago was in charge of test and evaluation for the whole of the Australian Defence Force says the worst part about the JSF is its software.

Dr Keith Joiner, who spoke exclusively to Background Briefing about his concerns, says the JSF is a completely software-driven aircraft, but is yet to be properly tested.

'[The aircraft] hasn't done any cybersecurity testing yet,' he says.

'The only system that has done cybersecurity vulnerability and penetration testing is the logistics software, so ordering spares. And it didn't go very well.

'The most software driven aircraft ever built hasn't yet been tested against cyber security and the modern cyber warfare threats.'

Expert urges Australia to 'get a little bit of spine'

Australia has formally nominated the US to carry out all the testing on our JSF jets, which at $17.8 billion so far are the most expensive Defence item we've ever bought.

Joiner says he asked for Australia to participate in flight tests, but Defence said no, because it would cost too much money.

Australia does receive test progress reports out of the US, but Joiner has told Background Briefing those test reports are not being given to Australian test agencies.

'Since the decision is to rely on the US, we don't do a lot with those test reports, in my view,' he says.

'My understanding is that they're not formally put through our test agencies for comment or feedback.'

Testing on the jet is still unfinished, but jets are being produced anyway, meaning some of our JSFs will need to be retrofitted after they've been built.

Joiner, who is now a researcher with the University of New South Wales, says Australia should postpone our latest order of 58 jets until testing of the plane is finally complete.

'We might end up with 72 of them and then find out what they can't do or can do,' he says.

'We don't do the US any favours when we appear such a soft touch. This is not the war against ISIS when we need to show allegiance and a determination to an enemy. It's an acquisition of a sole sourced major multi-national corporation that is consistently undervaluing the test program, and a US program office that will not or cannot stand up to them.

'Our Defence is mixing up its strategies here, and it needs to put some pressure back on the program like Canada has. We need to get a little bit of spine back here and stand up to the company.'

Questions over production numbers taken on notice

It can be revealed the head of Australia's Joint Strike Fighter program, the RAAF's Air Vice Marshal Deeble, is unsure how many of Australia's expensive jets are currently in production.

Background Briefing phoned in to a press conference with Deeble and the visiting head of the American JSF program, Lieutenant General Chris Bogdan, to hear the American whispering answers to his Australian counterpart.

Asked how many of the 58 fighters approved for purchase in 2014 are currently in production, Bogdan whispered: 'I would tell you that there's probably somewhere between zero and 16.'

Deeble then said: 'Yeah, it'd be somewhere between zero and 16 as per General Bogdan's comment.'

Pressed to identify exactly how many were in production, Bogdan whispered, 'No more than 16', before Deeble gave the same answer.

Asked if that meant Air Vice Marshal Deeble was not sure how many, more whispering was heard, before he answered: 'We will get you the answer specifically about that. We'll take that on notice.'

Defence Minister Marise Payne and the maker of the Joint Strike Fighter, Lockheed Martin, both declined an interview. You can read Defence Media's response to our questions here, and a later response here.

Hear Sarah Dingle's full investigation into Australia's Joint Strike Fighter program on Background Briefing at 8:05am on Sunday. Subscribe to Background Briefing on iTunes, ABC Radio or your favourite podcasting app.