via Defense News.
The 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., will take delivery of 20 F-35A-model conventional take-off variant aircraft with Block 1 training software after a brief informal operational evaluation so that instructor pilots can begin their training, said Vice Adm. Dave Venlet, the new JSF program executive officer."We're going to put them in the hands of the fleet and the Air Force is going to be operating [Conventional take-off and landing aircraft] in training at Eglin before the year ends," Venlet told a luncheon hosted by the National Aeronautic Association.
i have wondered if they were going to maybe push the IOC of the A version up to try and field a few, like they did with LCS (sending it out to the fleet), just a few combat ready jets to see how it will perform at built up airfields after a few years, i think they could get three to five jets operational by 2013 or 2014 or so, since its suppose to be a figther/bomber, can be useful in afghanistan to see how well it will perform.
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