Courtney,
To pick up on FB's comment about the media sniping at F-35's faults, I wonder if this program has been handled well.
IMHO, it hasn't.
To begin with, any product, be it a washing machine, a golf club or an advance fighter is dependent on the shortest time to market to gain the maximum technological edge. The longer the time to market, the less the technological edge to the point where no edge exists at all. 13 years from go to not being in the market yet seems to place the F-35's technological edge on the very edge of viability, a few more years and it will be gone. The lapses in security at LM aided the competition in more ways than one. Then the wishes of the customer and the promises of the producer verses the reality of the day lead to the less than optimal situations currently being experienced.
The amount of technical information being flung around about the F-35, before it is even operational and in service, is unquestionably the most of any US defense program in history. Between the US DoD and LM, not only are the capabilities openly discussed, but the shortcomings as well, even identifying how the capability goal posts have been moved to fit reality.
The media outpouring by LM & US DoD is nothing more than their fear reaction to combat the possibility the overall program could be reduced in size and scope from the original dream.