So where does it end?
It can still end because of many things,
beginning with the technology and its continuing troubles to make it both work on a reliable base and easy to maintain, something which is far from being achieved up until today.
It can end because at some point its customers just run out of money, the ongoing recession/depression and the ever increasing pricetag, combined with rumours all around that production volumes will be severely cut by many users which , according to LM, will again severely increase the unit costs, can still bring this whole project to its knees.
It can end because it becomes more obsolete and less cutting edge every time delays are announced.
But last and certainly not least , it can end ,or become the victim of very substantial cutbacks, because too many political influences seem to have taken an aversion of the whole project.
In the US it remains to be seen what will happen once the presidential elections are over, but many scenarios are pointing at severe cutbacks, in Holland it has come so far that a big majority in the parliament is all for selling the 2 testplanes, cutting their losses and retire from the whole JSF project, at the same time there is once again (remember the 2 previous LM scandals) a new scandal emerging involving ministers, high military, and lobbyists about the JSF.
Italy won't be able and politically willing to take up any or all of its initially planned F35's.