Costly delays plague Pentagon’s F-35 project

Critics of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter weapons system program of the US Pentagon are calling for its abolition because it is costing hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer money. A report by the US Government Accountability Office revealed that despite some progress made on the problems facing the controversial jet fighter project, several risks could result in “additional cost growth and schedule delays.”

The project is supposed to develop three versions of a fifth generation combat plane descended from the X-35 and designed for ground attack, aerial reconnaissance and air defense missions. A design team led by American aerospace and defense technology company Lockheed Martin has been working for over a decade on the project – described as huge in every aspect with over 2,000 subcontractors from all over the world tapped for the project – but the delays could bring the total cost to over $1 trillion.

Just recently, reports say defects in the F-35’s sensors have resulted in false alarms, prompting engineers to reexamine the software to make sure data on threats are properly interpreted. The latest setback has bolstered criticisms that the aircraft could prove to be unreliable especially because hackers (believed to be Chinese) reportedly stole large terabytes of data on the design, electronics systems and other technical documentation sometime in 2007 and 2008. Lockheed Martin has not disputed the theft, but insists that no classified information was taken.

Aside from the sensors, other design problems and flaws that have been seen in the aircraft include the vulnerability of the engines to fires, unreliable software that could affect the deployment of the fighter’s weapons, and the possibility that it could easily be detected by Chinese and Russian radars – which renders its stealth capability practically inutile, critics maintain.

A report from a nonpartisan organization has also leveled accusations that figures on the repairs and redesigns are being fudged to make the plane appear more reliable. A US watchdog group going by the name Project on Government Oversight (POGO) also slammed plans to have the F-35A and F-35 B versions of the planes deployed by the US Marines this 2015 and the Air Force by 2016 respectively. “The F-35 is years away from being ready for initial operational capability,” the group said, adding that to do so would be a politically driven and irresponsible mistake. 

The Pentagon though seems unfazed judging from the decision to allocate another $10.6 billion for the F-35 program in its defense budget for the fiscal year ending in Oct. 1 – up 23 percent from the previous year’s allocation. Apparently, the project has become “too big to fail” which is why funds are being continually poured on the project. But if one were to believe the statement of the Air Force official in charge of the program, “Lockheed Martin will not be paid unless each and every airplane meets each station on time with the right quality.”

Aside from the US, other countries have also given funding to the program, namely the UK, Australia, Italy, Canada, Norway, Denmark, Canada and other allies. Canada has earlier announced that it will purchase 65 F-35 aircrafts to replace its fleet of CF-18 fighter jets. Sources say though that Canada has taken a wait-and-see attitude, deciding instead to spend an additional $400 million for the CF-18s to make them operational beyond their retirement date of 2020.

Samsung, Blackberry launch ‘spy proof’ tablet

Canadian company Blackberry has collaborated with South Korea’s Samsung to develop a tablet that’s touted to be “spy proof.” Called the SecuTABLET, the Galaxy Tab S 10.5-inspired gadget was presented at the recent CeBit conference in Hanover, Germany. Apparently, the gadget is not necessarily for ordinary consumers but corporate execs and government offices that could be potential targets of hackers. 

Using IBM (International Business Machines) software, the SecuTABLET allows users to access consumer apps such as YouTube, WhatsApp and others while keeping confidential and work-related data secure from cyber spies and data thieves by confining apps that require users to disclose information into virtual boxes or containers where they can’t be accessed by malicious ware.

Apparently, the controversy surrounding former US State Secretary Hillary Clinton’s decision to install a private server to handle both private and official emails – which has made it difficult for watchdogs and the media to scrutinize State Department actions and decisions over key issues – has driven the debate over the need to maintain personal privacy while still keeping phones secure. Officials can opt to use “safe” phones and gadgets but a major complaint is that these gadgets are not fun to use and they have limited capabilities.

With SecuTABLET, users have a secure and useful device because it has a tiny chip card that encrypts voice and data and which cannot be attacked by malware that target operating systems, Blackberry said.

SC projects decongest clogged courts

At the recent Manila Overseas Press Club forum, Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno who was the keynote speaker disclosed the reform programs that are being implemented to make the wheels of justice turn faster by decongesting the clogged courts, enabling magistrates to manage their case loads more efficiently. One of these is the “Hustisyeah! Project” that involves an inventory of courts dockets to weed out dormant and dismissible cases, and the formulation of case decongestion plans to fast-track the processing of the remaining cases.

The project is beefed up by the assistance of volunteer lawyers, law grads and law students, and has successfully reduced the caseload by almost 30 percent in the 33 Quezon City Courts where the project was piloted. The 32,173 cases in 2012 was reduced to 22,753 as of December 2014, with “Hustisyeah!” also ongoing in Makati, Manila, Pasig, Angeles and Davao and Angeles, the chief justice said.

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