F-35 could deploy quickly after IOC next year, general says: The F-35 could deploy overseas as soon as it reaches initial operating capability in 2016, said Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian, director of the Air Force's F-35 Integration Office.
"When you're at CENTCOM, you don't request a specific jet, you request the capability," Harrigian said Monday at the Air Force Association's Air and Space Conference. "When we declare IOC, the F-35 will be on the list of capabilities that will be available."
The decision of when F-35s will be deployed lies with Gen. Hawk Carlisle, who leads Air Combat Command, Harrigian said.
