The Department of Defense’s entire fleet of F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft is on track to receive an 80 percent mission capability rate by September 2020, Flight Global reported Friday.
U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Mathias Winter, executive officer of the F-35 Joint Program Office, testified before the House Armed Services Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee on Thursday that F-35 combat units under the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps as well as international allies are slated to achieve the 80 percent mark by September of this year.
The JPO intends to coordinate with Lockheed Martin on aircraft availability matters, according to Winter. He noted that Lockheed has delivered more than 390 of the fighter jets, 133 of which were delivered this year. The office said it expects the F-35A to cost less than $80 million by 2020.