DOT&E says F-35B had poor reliability during operational testing at sea

Bloomberg has obtained a memo written by Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, Michael Gilmore, in which he criticized the poor reliability of the F-35B during its operational testing on board USS Wasp.

By Cpl. Anne Henry (https://www.dvidshub.net/image/1952086) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

In the memo, written on Jul. 22, Gilmore said Marines were struggling “to keep more than two or three of the six embarked jets in a flyable status on any given day.”
Maintainers were able to get spare parts quickly from shore and Lockheed Martin was quick to provide assistance. However, the service will be challenged when the jet deploys on an operational mission under more trying conditions, he wrote.

Source: DOT&E says F-35B had poor reliability during operational testing at sea