JSF is taking a battering at the moment - as the reliance of small numbers of stealth fighters.
Flight has an article this week entitled, "Rand Analysis Sparks off F-35 crisis".
The basis of the article is that Rand did a war game based on F-22s in the Taiwan Straits against the PAF. The F-22s lived but their tankers got shot down so the F-22s were lost anyway.
Cue much shouting in Australia, again, about how the F-35 is inadequate for their needs and they need F-22s. Though how they got there from the above I am not sure. Lots of articles in Oz papers and magazines, much support of F-35 from the government. e.g.
Govt Should be defending JSF: Opposition JSF "Clubbed Like Baby Seals"
I am sure Oz mates can provide links to the more informed of the articles.
Most unfortunate result is the F-35 program chief blaming a conspiracy to do the F-35 down but unable to explain how or why. Comes across as paranoid.
At the same time Congress has approved a defense spending billing encouraging the USN to budget for a third mutli-year purchase of F/A-18E/Fs for a buy of about 150 aircraft through 2016. But that will overlap with and eat into F-35 production/procurement. They also reduced F-35 production next year by two aircraft, to 17.
Not a good month for the F-35 program.....