Fresh JSF risks?

The UK’s decision to cancel its plans to buy 138 of the F-35B STOVL variant and instead buy as few as 36 conventional carrier capable F-35Cs leaves Italy the only JSF program partner other than the US Marine Corps to have maintained its intention to order the STOVL.

While some commentators have speculated the UK dropped the STOVL because of a lack of confidence in its ability to perform as advertised, whatever the UK’s reason, this has left the F-35B somewhat at risk. Not only is this version running well behind its flight test schedule, even the most recent one set earlier this year, but if media reports out of the US are correct, development of the F-35B is going to take an additional two years and several billion dollars more than planned.