U.S. Navy F35C gained the initial operation capability - deployment for actual fighting made possible

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

米海軍のＦ３５Ｃ、初期作戦能力を獲得　実戦配備可能に

2019.03.01 Fri posted at 11:53 JST

             The F35 Family               (Source:CNN)

  ワシントン（ＣＮＮ） 米海軍は２月２８日、海軍仕様の最新鋭ステルス戦闘機「Ｆ３５Ｃ」が初期作戦能力（ＩＯＣ）を獲得したと発表した。２０年以上にわたる試験と開発の末、実戦配備が可能になった。

今回の発表の前には、Ｆ３５Ｃで構成される初の飛行隊が、空母「カールビンソン」の艦上で着艦資格取得訓練を完了していた。

海軍航空部隊の司令官は「Ｆ３５Ｃは作戦、戦闘、勝利への用意が整った」と宣言。「我々は空母打撃軍に素晴らしい兵器システムを加え、統合軍の能力を大幅に向上させつつある」と述べた。

ＩＯＣの獲得はＦ３５Ｃの主契約社である米ロッキード・マーチンにとっても大きな節目となる。

ロッキード・マーチンのＦ３５プログラム責任者、グレッグ・ウルマー副社長は海軍に祝意を示したうえで、「政府と産業界が一体となったチームによる揺るぎない献身の成果だ」と説明した。

Ｆ３５は高い攻撃力を備えた多用途機で、ロッキード社によると、ステルス能力と超音速性能、極めて優れた機動性、最新のセンサー融合技術を併せ持つ。

ただ、近年はソフトウエアやエンジン、兵器システムの問題など相次ぐ逆風に見舞われ、厳しい批判にさらされてきた。

Ｆ３５Ｃは３種類あるＦ３５シリーズのひとつ。米海兵隊使用機は２０１５年７月、空軍使用機は１６年８月に実戦配備が可能になったと発表されていた。

Translation

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The US Navy announced on February 28 that the latest naval-specification stealth fighter "F35C" had acquired initial operation capability (IOC). After more than 20 years of testing and development, actual deployment became possible.

Prior to this announcement, the first squadron which composed of F35C had completed a drill on the aircraft carrier "Carl Vinson" to acquire the craft landing qualification.

Commander of the Navy Air Force declared that "F35C is ready for strategy, battle and victory". He said, "we are adding a wonderful weapon system to the aircraft carrier striking forces, and we are greatly improving the ability of an integrated army ".

The acquisition of IOC was also a major milestone for Lockheed Martin, the main contractor of F35C.

Greg Ulmer, Vice President of the F35 program in Lockheed Martin, said that he was congratulating the Navy and said, "it is the result of unwavering dedications by a team which the government and the industry have joined together to make one."

According to Lockheed, F35 was a versatile machine with high offensive power; it combined stealth ability cum supersonic performance, extremely excellent maneuverability, and the latest sensor integration technology.

However, in recent years it had suffered from setbacks in problems in software, engines, weapons system etc. and had been subjected to severe criticism.

F35C was one of the three types of F35 series. It was announced that for actual deployments the US Marine Corps using machine was made available in July 2015 while the Air Force using machine was in August 2016.

          Now with the testing on F35C being successfully completed, all US forces in air, land and sea would be using the new generation fighters.