Well... there sure are some worrying reports out there..
Yep. This is the latest Pentagon report on the F-35 program.
FY15 DOD PROGRAMS - F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)In the report it notes that the F-35A has to slow down in order to open its weapon bay doors.
For the F-35A, the airspeed at which the weapons bay doors can be open in flight (550 knots or 1.2 Mach) is less than the maximum aircraft speed allowable (700 knots or 1.6 Mach). Such a restriction will limit tactics to employment of weapons at lower speeds and may create advantages for threat aircraft being pursued by the F-35A.
The same issue also creates a problem with using counter-measures.
For the F-35A, the airspeed at which countermeasures can be used is also less than the maximum speed allowable, again restricting tactical options in scenarios where F-35A pilots are conducting defensive maneuvers.
The F-35B is plagued by a series of bugs found "in fusion, electronic warfare, and weapons employment result in ambiguous threat displays, limited ability to respond to threats, and a requirement for off-board sources to provide accurate coordinates for precision attack."
The report also shows that there are issues with the ejection system, in its current state it would be very dangerous for the pilot to hit the silk and the problems will most likely cause further delays.
"Recent discoveries that require design changes, modifications, and regression testing include the ejection seat for safe separation, wing fuel tank over-pressurization, and the life-limitations of the F-35B bulkhead. For these specific reasons and others, further program delays are likely."
ack-ack
