- Completion of tests planned for late next summer would be a major step toward full production of the fighter jet
- “Start of formal operational testing is a milestone more than 18 years in the making,” Vice Adm. Mat Winter, F-35 Program executive officer, says in an email statement
- By law, F-35 must undergo full combat testing to demonstrate that it’s “operationally effective and suitable” against the most sophisticated aviation and air defense threats before Pentagon can buy the bulk of a planned 2,456 aircraft
- NOTE: More than 320 F-35s are already operating from 15 bases worldwide as Pentagon and Lockheed continue to wrestle with resolving more than 900 deficiencies, including flaws in the plane’s complex software
- Successful test would result in first full-rate production contract of as many as 168 jets, up from 141 in a just-completed award
- Earlier: Lockheed’s F-35 Wins Pentagon Approval for Full Combat Testing
F-35 Combat Testing Phase Begins After 15-Month Delay: Pentagon