Bismark,
I'm not talking about the current planned dates, but when it is actually likely to happen, given delays, cost stretching, etc....
I'll remind you again in ten years time if I can be bothered. Compare planned in service dates vs actual for Typhoon, T45, MRA4, A400M, FSTA, etc, etc....
First in service in any reasonable numbers date for UK forces is currently 2018 I believe, a two year slip on that (my quote of "at least 10 years") is pretty conservative). Carrying out F-35 production while development is still taking place is a very risky approach which I believe has been critiicised in the US, but I am no expert on the F-35....
The link discusses the F-35 test schedule being extended by 13 months, let alone "areas of concern"......
US Department of Defense raises F-35 cost estimate to $382 billion
Take off your rose tinted glasses, I'm not being negative, merely realistic!