Salute!
@ Asturias
The advertised availabily now is 70% or so. I do not have the exact equipment list that determines full mission capability (FMC) for the beast, but unless the motor, the cosmic radar and the Darth Vader helmet cannot be replaced easily, you have problems. Otherwise....
When dealing with $$$ you get to "fix" things, govment outfits will whine amd moan and.... The USAF criteria for FMC is harsh, and if you can get the thing airborne without some pissant backup system working or even something like the "here I am" doofer the F-35 uses when not "cloaked", they will launch the things. Been there, done that, and in combat with two different jets.
The "mission capable" criteria is based on a pure world, the contractual specifications of all the systems and worst case mission requirement. In the "real" world, you fight with what you have. Nevertheless, I saw our very first operational F-16 unit back in 1981 mobilize and launch all of their aircraft within 24 hours to pass their first readiness inspection. At kick off we had about 20 of the jets called "operational", and even when all the squad launched we had one or two with minor gripes. BFD. Could they fight? Yep. Did every single pissant thing work to advertised capability? Nope.
About the only plane I flew in combat that had damned near everything working like advertised was the Dragonfly. My recollection is we ran over 50 sorties a day with the FMC number at maybe 80% or so of our 24 platforms.
The way you find out what the plane will do is a 24 hour exercise starting with no notice versus the expected and unexpected threat. No notice. And then see what the unit can do with available kits and boxes and .... The planes since the Viper have many boxes for the avionics and engine electronic fuel controls that can be replaced easily.
Oh well, the naysayers can naysay. The doggone F-35 is turning out better than many of we old farts thot, and reminds me of the mid-nineties when we had to ask the outfit that hired us what "email" was, heh heh.
...Gums sends..