News

Billion Dollar F-35 Strike Fighter’s AI Could be Hacked

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lighting II strike fighter is currently in development and designed to be the US military’s next major step forward in aircraft technology. There’s already been some criticism regarding the project’s immense cost and claims that the jet has numerous design flaws. Figures suggest the F-35’s cost is around $400 billion. The Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) is an incredibly advanced software package which monitors altitude, enemy tracking, diagnostics and much more. This system alone costs a staggering $16.7 billion although it’s certainly one of the most important aspects on the F-35.

Despite the huge investment, a recent Government Accountability Office report suggests the system is open to vulnerabilities. Apparently, part of the computer code isn’t secure and can be hacked. The report also discussed the difficulty in deploying the system. The ALIS tool is plugged into a jet which sends data to 1,600 pound server racks. Each F-35 requires:

“ server connectivity and the necessary infrastructure to provide power to the system”

Not only that, there’s no alternative backups in case any system failures occur and the report states:

“If either of these fail, it could take the entire F-35 fleet offline,”

This could easily delay the F-35’s deployment for a significant amount of time and it’s an embarrassing situation for the US military. The loopholes really put the aircraft at risk and could have severe consequences. Only time will tell, if the F-35 project is cancelled or the ALIS system improves. I wouldn’t be surprised to see F-35 jets without the software system go into production.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

John Williamson

Disqus Comments Loading...

Recent Posts

Assassin’s Creed Boss Calls Shadows’ Inclusivity Backlash ‘Devastating’

The Assassin's Creed Shadows development team has been facing a difficult time amid an ongoing…

2 hours ago

Yoshi-P Says He Would Like a Re-Release of Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy Tactics

More than twenty years after the launch of Vagrant Story, many are still dreaming of…

2 hours ago

Still Wakes the Deep 

LIVE THE HORROR: An immersive disaster story aboard a stunningly realised North Sea oil rig,…

7 hours ago

PHILIPS 275V8LA – 27 Inch QHD Monitor

The Philips VA LED display uses an advanced multi-domain vertical alignment technology that gives you…

7 hours ago

EPOMAKER Ajazz AK820 Pro 75% Gasket-mounted Mechanical Keyboard 

【TFT Screen: The Interactive Interface】This 75% mechanical keyboard comes equipped with a TFT Screen, serving…

7 hours ago

Funko Fusion

FANDOM FUSION Play as your favorite characters and wield their unique weapons and skills. Team…

7 hours ago