While the USAF is still working on the common logistics software issue that'll affect all three versions of the F-35, the USN has taken another step closer to bringing the
F-35C to Initial Operational Capability (
IOC) per the below ref.
http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cfm...sStory&id=6694
Weapons testing is also still ongoing along with several others and the
CAS test against the
A-10 and
F-15SE well, let's just say has been delayed until
Spring of 2018. Of course along with everyone else, I'm awaiting the results of that.
Now we wait until they reach Full Operational Capability (
FOC) there's a reason I started using these terms because generally speaking those are the terms and associated definitions of them that many of the world's militaries use. And really my "old" term "
Fielded" actually fitted better than I thought after looking into what the above terms actually meant in military terms. For those in a "hurry" I offer the following ref. again from NAVAIR it fits this perfectly as
FOC is just the final step to
Fielded in a weapons system etc. This of course doesn't apply to Don or the others who track these things for some cases over many years.
IOC does allow us some latitude (Unless we have other information such as the Russians hoping to have the
T-14 ARMATA
Operational/Fielded from the many statements they've made to date but, even that could be wishful thinking.) to establish a start date for the game recognizing the dates can and usually will shift (
ARJUN Mk I/
Mk II which will need to be changed again by the way.). But there's always the chance it could happen sooner or as put in if the program is moving along smoothly. My example covers the USN's
JSOW C-1 and fully discusses the process and as you'll see, reaching the
Fielded stage can still take, in this case, a year and a half
after FOC (Para.2 of the ref.).
http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cfm...sStory&id=6658
Also note the
RAAF will be getting this weapon as well.
A final observation for my
MARINE friend (It's a rare early non sarcastic compliment sort of - so here's your early Merry Christmas!
(I did say sort of!)) and others that the
F-35B was the one predicted too have the most issues but ended up being the first to
IOC and I feel confident the first to
FOC+.
Regards,
Pat
