More F-35 news... None of it good.
Oooh... Fancy. I always get suspicious when the the JSF program releases a fancy new picture and a bit of positive news. While the photograph is always well done, the "good news" is usually rather anti-climatic. Often, it merely boasts of meeting defined test points, stuff that should be deemed merely acceptable, not brag-worthy. What would be news is if the JSF did not meet these test points. This is exactly the case this past weekend, when the program office released the picture you see above, along with the press statement that the "F-35 CONTINUES ON PATH TOWARD FULL WEAPONS CERTIFICATION" Good to know that the F-35 might actually have weapons when the USMC declares initial operating capability (IOC) in six months . As impressive as that photo above looks, there are a few caveats: First of all, ignore those 25mm cannon rounds in the foreground. The gun that shoots them will not be ready until 2019 . Second, you will notice most of t...