Countdown to operational F-35
By Phillip Swarts
December 28, 2015
After 15 years in development and a planned $1.5 trillion investment in the program, the Air Force’s divisive, longawaited fifth-generation fighter is expected to finally be ready for limited operations in 2016.
Once the F-35 Lightning II, built by Lockheed Martin, reaches initial operating capability, the Air Force will have the advanced stealth aircraft leaders say the service desperately needs to replace aging F-15s and F-16s and bolster the curtailed buy of F-22s.