Top Testing Officer Calls Reliability Of F-35B Into Question

The F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter demonstrated poor reliability during 12 days of at-sea exercises, according to the head of operational testing for the U.S. Dept. of Defense, reports Bloomberg News.

Six F-35Bs, the short takeoff and vertical landing variants, were only available for flights half the time that they were required, Michael Gilmore, the director of operational testing, said in a memo obtained by the news service.

The assessment, dated July 22, said...