F-35 JPO will brief Congress on Block 4 modernization plan in coming months

SAN DIEGO -- The F-35 joint program office will brief Congress on its Block 4 modernization plan in the coming months, according to the program executive officer.

That plan was characterized as "high risk" in a recent report by the Pentagon's top weapons tester, who also called for an assessment of the cost to test and continuously modernize software.

Asked about the director of operational test and evaluation's report, F-35 PEO Vice Adm. Mat Winter said the plan does come with a "sense of uncertainty and risk."

"The [Defense] Department knows that and DOT&E is recognizing that and providing that in their assessment. So I don't see any issue with what they wrote because that's good program management understanding," he told reporters here at the AFCEA West conference.