{"id":56598,"date":"2018-01-25T21:05:32","date_gmt":"2018-01-25T21:05:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/01\/25\/pentagons-weapons-tester-slams-new-f-35-modernization-plan-as-unrealistic\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:11:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:11:37","slug":"pentagons-weapons-tester-slams-new-f-35-modernization-plan-as-unrealistic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2018\/01\/25\/pentagons-weapons-tester-slams-new-f-35-modernization-plan-as-unrealistic\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon\u2019s weapons tester slams new F-35 modernization plan as unrealistic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 The F-35 program office plans to close out the joint strike fighter\u2019s development phase this year and begin moving into modernization, but it could face an uphill battle, the Pentagon\u2019s head of weapons testing warned in a report released Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The F-35 Joint Program Office has known since 2016 that it likely wouldn\u2019t be able to make its October 2017 goal post for wrapping up developmental test flights, instead estimating it would take until February or even May of this year<\/a> to finish those tests and end the system development and demonstration, or SDD, phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means initial operational test and evaluation, or IOT&E \u2014 the last milestone before full-rate production starts \u2014 won\u2019t be able to begin until late 2018, Robert Behler, the Defense Department\u2019s new director of operational test and evaluation, said in his office\u2019s annual report. <\/p>\n\n\n\t