Both U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh are confident that the F-35 is on track to meet its initial operational capability (IOC) for this year and next year.
Mabus told reporters after a speech at the annual conference of the Surface Navy Association that the B-model is on track to declare IOC in July and the carrier version will be ready by the end of the decade.
Separately, Welsh said the A-model is ready for IOC by August to December 2016.