KenV and SSSETOWTF - Thank you. To this bear of very little brain, you have established your credentials to speak with authority on the F-35. In the main, you have presented facts clearly and rationally, even though it is obvious to me that they been obfuscated, conflated and deliberately misinterpreted by your detractors in pursuit of their negative 'argument'. I regret there are those who seem to resent your knowledgeable stance and currency and have responded abusively but please do not be deterred and do not stoop to their level. I enjoy being educated by people prepared to present the 'other side' of the argument in such a refreshing and illuminating fashion.
We all know the F-35 has suffered developmental snags and will even have deficiences in certain areas such as dogfighting against a peer enemy (which it should be more than capable of avoiding if its systems are utilised properly) but some seem to have condemned it from the outset for not being the answer to quite every maiden's prayer.