F-35 IOT&E

The F-35 program office announced today that the aircraft has begun its IOT&E portion. They expect to wrap up by next summer. The testing will include realistic combat scenarios, and will determine the aircraft suitability for combat. They also expect to make the decision for full rate production by the end of next year.

WASHINGTON The F-35 program office announced today the aircraft had finally reached its initial operational test & evaluation phase, which is expected to wrap up next September. That’s three months behind previous projections for mid-summer — the result of the program’s first crash (fortunately non-fatal) and a subsequent grounding — and 16 months behind the original testing plan from 2012.

The announcement means the Air Force, Navy, and Marines will begin testing all three F-35 variants under realistic combat conditions to determine their suitability for combat, followed by a decision to begin full rate production at the end of 2019. The Pentagon did allow the program office to start some of the testing early, including cold-weather testing, weapons demonstrations, and other activities earlier this year.

breakingdefense.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

Getting the first two F35a JSF's on Monday.

They will fly past me on their way to Williamtown RAAF base escorted by 3 Super Hornets...

Looking forward to seeing and hearing them !

Awesome, about time. Simply being a realist here, but there will be discoveries.

Also:

The F-35 heritage team has evolved into the U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team.

“The past year’s demonstration was sort of like an ‘appetizer’ if you will,” said Capt. Andrew “Dojo” Olson, F-35 Demonstration Team pilot and commander. The new profile this year will be the full ‘five-course meal’ showing fans everything this jet is capable of.”

There's never been a proper F-35 demonstration with a Block 3F jet.