Britain's billion-pound F-35s not quite ready for, well, anything

The UK National Audit Office highlights persistent challenges in Britain’s F-35 program, including low mission-capable rates, shortages of engineers and spare parts, and major delays integrating key weapons (Spear 3, Meteor) due to Block 4 slippage and supplier performance, with some responsibility also attributed to MoD contracting priorities. The report notes slower-than-planned fleet growth, added complexity from introducing the F-35A alongside the B, and delays to the stealth verification facility, while recommending structural changes to improve delivery; the MoD maintains the program is within budget and will field two deployable squadrons by year-end.