Perhaps the people who actually know where the programme is becasue they are working on it every day have given up commenting?
It seems rather like the US gun debate: with both sides completely entrenched and shouting so loudly they cannot hear even the slightest element of what the other is saying. One side will not believe anything positive in the media about F-35 but will leap on everything negative, whilst the other will exaggerate everything positive without recognising that there are issues that need to be overcome.
F-35B is fielded with an operational Squadron at Yuma but not with it's full capabilities. Was Eurofighter or Tornado F-3 any different? FFS when Eurofighter was need to drop bombs for real after how many years of dvelopment etc it had to rely on buddy lasing and as for Blue Circle...!
Unless you want a hugely elongated capability gap caused by starting from scratch and the loss of any maritime strike aspirations then, like it or not, F-35B is the UK's only option. Cancellation of F-35 would also probably bancrupt BAES and LM with associated massive loss of jobs on both sides of the Atlantic, I really can't see the politicians wearing that.
Expecting incoming....
