Combat ready and operational are not the same. The F-35 software did not work in that exercise just like now, and shows no signs of being finished, let alone tested, any time soon. It is not early on for the F-35 software, or overdue, but past due.
Pentagon Tester: F-35 Still Has Serious Problems
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3463017/posts?page=36
First line in your link:
“... the U.S. Air Force declared the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter ready for combat”
So.. Yeah one random dude versus the air force. Personally I chalk that guy up with the people who said heavier than air flight was impossible. Or that you can’t break the sound barrier.
I am sure it still has some things to fix or update. Ever worked on avionics? Ever worked on any software? On a program with MILLIONS of lines of code? Know what goes into updating and testing that sort of thing? I do. It is what I do for a living.