An F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter takes off on a training sortie at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida in this March 6, 2012 file photo. REUTERS/U.S. Air Force photo/Randy Gon/Handout
Wall Street Journal: U.S. Air Force Close to Declaring F-35 Jet Combat-Ready
F-35 critics contend jet still lacks functionality.
Five years behind schedule, the U.S. Air Force is this week expected to declare that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet is finally ready for combat even as critics continue to rail against the most expensive military program in history.
The plane’s builders and military officials will likely describe it as a milestone for a weapons program that was once hailed as the cheapest way to replace the aging U.S. fighter fleet.
But some critics question the plane’s capabilities and argue the Pentagon is using the combat ready status of a handful of planes as leverage to secure funding to build hundreds more jets.
The plane is designed to evade enemy radar and destroy missile defenses and provide a flying hub to control other forces. The Air Force is the largest customer of the jet and hopes to buy almost 1,800 costing around $100 million apiece. Hundreds more are destined for the Navy, the Marine Corps, and international customers ranging from the U.K. to Turkey and Australia.
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More News On Reports That The U.S. Air Force Is About To Declare F-35 Combat Ready
U.S. Air Force to say first squadron of F-35 jets combat-ready: sources -- Reuters
F-35 Finally Shoots Something — And Kills It -- Daily Caller
The largest buyer of the F-35 just declared it ready for war -- Business Insider
The F-35 has hit another snag — this time because it is just too good -- Business Insider
Revolutionary F-35 Fighter Reaches Its Most Important Milestone -- National Interest
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