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  • US Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Madelyn Brown

    US Air Force says the F-35 is ready for combat

    by 
    Jon Fingas
    Jon Fingas
    08.02.2016

    The F-35 Lightning II has faced more than a few technical problems and cost overruns in the 15 years since Lockheed Martin first won its production contract, but it's nearly done overcoming those hurdles. The US Air Force has declared that the F-35A (that is, the conventional takeoff model) is officially ready for combat. The first squadron to get the advanced jet, the 34th Fighter Squadron at Utah's Hill Air Force Base, can now deploy it on real-world missions if necessary.