The $400,000 helmet for the F-35B has a major problem: The night-vision camera does not work when there is no moon, according to video of a test flight aboard the amphibious assault ship America in November.
The problem will take months to fix, said F-35 Joint Program Office spokesman Joe DellaVedova. Potential solutions are expected to be tested in the fall, he said. Military.com first reported on Wednesday about the defect.
When an F-35B test pilot landed on the America during a moonless night in November, he was unable to see the deck, so he had to guess where he was above the ship, F-35B, Marine Lt. Col. Tom Fields, F-35 government flight test director, said in the video.
After he had successfully landed, the pilot said something along the lines of, “Control, you’re going to have to give me a compelling reason to do that again,” Fields recalled.
Prime contractor Lockheed Martin issued a statement on Friday saying the company is aware of the issue and working to test potential solutions.
“This is why we have a flight test program – to characterize performance as well as identify anomalies so that we can work solutions and ensure the performance of the aircraft meets warfighter requirements,” the company said in the statement.
Mackenzie Wolf is an editorial intern for Military Times.
