
The Air Force is “tracking very well” toward declaring the F-35A combat ready in August 2016, but the first operational squadron will fly jets with a rudimentary version of the aircraft’s final software, Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian, chief of F-35 integration, said May 21.The Air Force plans to declare the F-35A battle ready on Aug. 1, 2016. The first operational unit will have at least 12 F-35As and as many as 14, Harrigian said at a meeting hosted by the…