F-35's hitting the Mach Loop

It's a piece of unreliable shit.

In 2001, the F-35 was actually announced as a low-cost alternative to existing combat aircraft,
mainly because it could handle the task that now requires using three different types. 
Maker Lockheed says the current cost of the F-35 is about $36,000 per flight hour. 
The company believes it can reduce its share of those costs by 40 percent by 2025. 
But even then, the aircraft is still three times more expensive to fly than the F-16 that it 
has to replace in Belgium, among other places.

To say that the F-35 failed to achieve its goals is an understatement. 
In the US, where the aircraft have been deployed on missions since 2018, 
the F-35's mission-capable percentage is 69 percent, 
well below the U.S. military's 80 percent benchmark for combat aircraft. 
Just 36 percent of the F-35 fleet is available for any required mission, 
well below the required standard of 50 percent. 
This is because the devices have to be constantly repaired. 
Current and ongoing issues include faster-than-expected engine wear, 
cockpit window delamination, and unspecified issues with the F-35's power module.

An official report on the matter states that "not enough spare parts can be supplied to 
allow aircraft to fly for sufficient time to meet the demands of war fighters. 
Several factors contributed to these parts shortages, including F-35 parts that break down 
more often than expected, and the armed forces' limited ability to repair parts when they break."