An F-35C fighter jet conducted its first arrested landing on USS Nimitz aircraft carrier Tuesday, a landmark moment for the Navy's Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), which had encountered many setbacks during development.
The JSF was conceived as a replacement for the F-16 and F/A-18 fighter jets, and is one of the most complex multirole fighter jets in the world.
The development of this aircraft hit several snags during key development phases, and no single person or entity is to blame. The development and manufacturing programs were a collaborate project including Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman, BAE Systems, and Pratt & Whitney.
Missed deadlines by the aforementioned companies and unexpected budget cuts following the Tea Party Revolution in 2010 significantly disrupted the aircrafts' rollout. However, as China and Russia continued to develop their own versions, the Department of Defense and Congress resolved to move on with the project so as to not fall behind competitors.