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Pentagon Says None F-35 Aircraft 3 Variants Meet Reliability, Maintainability Metrics

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - All three variants of the F-35 fighter jet fleet do not fulfill the set metrics regarding the aircraft’s reliability or maintainability, Defence Department Operational Test and Evaluation Director Robert Behler said in congressional testimony on Wednesday.
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"Operational suitability of the F-35 fleet remains below service expectations", Behler told the US House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Tactical Air and land Forces. "No F-35 variant meets these specified reliability or maintainability metrics".

Behler explained that the F-35 aircraft breaks down more often and the necessary repairs take more time than expected.

However, Behler pointed out that all participants in the US-led international F-35 program are making good progress.

"The Department of Defense is collaborating closely with its partners to evaluate the F-35 survivability and readiness", Behler said.

The fifth-generation jet has three variants: the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variant, the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing variant and the F-35C aircraft carrier variant.

Earlier in the day, the Government Accountability Office presented a report saying the F-35 fighter jet fleet has a lack of parts and the underperformance of the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS).

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