“Wasn’t the F-35 meant to be the version of the F-22 that’s carrier capable?”
That may have been the beginning of the problem. Soon some general wanted it to be able to have access to rough terrain, terrain which was in tight quarters, e.g. can it include VTOL capability, how about this and how about that until everybody was satisfied that it did what each of those flag officers wanted, except with all the ornaments hung on the treee, there was no room for the “gift”, i.e., it wasn’t mission capable.
Seems like a lack of planning... or wishful thinking.
What’s the lead time on these jets from inception to readiness, 10 years?