I am not so pessimistic as some here for two reasons.
Firstly the likely length of the programme (in my view 60 years starting in 2000) and secondly the fact that the operators (all of them) have so much to learn about how to use the gradually emerging operational systems (surely more capable and complex than with any other new single seat aircraft) that to have a restricted manoeuvre envelope (even for a few years) while the engine is sorted is actually not a problem so far as the guys in the crew rooms are concerned.
I do realise that the politics, the finances, the sales and the
PR aspects will have their own very serious issues about all this (and doubtless other engineering problems that could well appear later!) but I would still love to be in an F-35 crew room while it is all gradually sorted, because I would have plenty of super stuff to do.