CANBERRA, March 2 (Xinhua) -- The head of Lockheed Martin on Thursday said Australia's F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) will be delivered and combat-ready by 2020, shrugging off criticism the program is still flawed.
Speaking ahead of the multi-million dollars jet's Australian debut at the Avalon Airshow this weekend, Lockheed Martin chief Marillyn Hewson dismissed Pentagon criticism that the F-35 program was suffering "multiple problems" and would not be battle-ready before it is expected to enter Australian service in 2020.
Hewson said development of the multi-role fighter was "complex" but said any issues would be well-and-truly ironed out by the time it comes into service in Australia.
"The U.S. Marine Corps already declared it combat ready in 2015 and the U.S. Air Force declared it combat ready last year," Hewson told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Thursday.
"I can assure (Australia) that we will get through all of that development and our aircraft will be ready operationally.
"So when Australia receives their aircraft they will have an opportunity to get them ready for their deployment."
Hewson said recent criticisms of the JSF program's delays were widely overblown, saying while the F-35 was delayed significantly in its early development, it has been smooth sailing for some time.
"(The delays) are in the distant past. Since 2010 we've been on schedule and on cost and the program is going really well. We're very proud of how the program is progressing," she said.
The Lockheed Martin chief also said there was potential to lower the cost of the jets, following criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this year.
She said it was "feasible" that the price of the F-35 could come down from 90 million U.S. dollars to around 80 million U.S. dollar per unit in the future.
"As we ramp up the program we will see the cost come down with the increased volume (of sales), but we're also working on cost reduction initiatives. Australia will benefit from those savings," Hewson said.
Australia has ordered 72 of the controversial aircraft, at an approximate cost of 13 billion U.S. dollars. The first Australian F-35 is expected to enter official service in 2020.
