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“We’re down to six Cat 1 DR’s” said chief of the Air Force’s program office Col. Lee Ottati during the Life Cycle Industry Days conference here, using a shorthand for category 1 deficiency reports.

Category 1 deficiencies indicate a serious problem with an aircraft, which Air Force spokesman Brian Brackens said “are those which if uncorrected may cause death, severe injury, or severe occupational illness; or may cause loss or major damage to a weapon system; or critically restricts the combat readiness capabilities of the using organization; or which would result in a production line stoppage.”Seven category 1 deficiencies were previously listed in a January 2022 report by the Government Accountability Office [PDF], though many were identified prior to that report. One deficiency, an issue with the jet’s flight management system, was downgraded to a category 2 problem in April, Ottati said. The issue will remain open to ensure software fixes are functioning properly, he added, after which the deficiency will be closed out.

Boeing has so far incurred over $7 billion in losses to fix known issues with the aircraft.

“We are partnering with the Air Force and have a path to closure on each of these issues. The specific timeline is subject to our joint efforts and the Air Force determines when Cat 1 issues close,” the company said in a statement to Breaking Defense.

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