U.S. Marines see decision soon on F-35 fighter combat-readiness

(Adds comment from deputy commandant for aviation, details on the jets)

By Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON, July 27 (Reuters) - The top U.S. Marine Corps aviator on Monday said an initial squadron of 10 Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jets met all the requirements for a declaration of combat-readiness during a recent review, and a decision from Marine Corps Commandant General Joseph Dunford was expected soon.

Deputy Commandant for Aviation Lieutenant General Jon Davis told a telephone news conference that Dunford was reviewing all the paperwork supporting the decision now. "I think it's soon. ... I'm not going to rush General Dunford. He's a busy guy," Davis said.

The Marines would be the first U.S. military service to declare an "initial operational capability" (IOC) of the F-35 fighter, a key milestone for the $391 billion program that U.S. officials say is now doing better after years of cost overruns and schedule delays.

The first squadron of F-35B jets, which take off from shorter runways and land vertically, are slated to head to Iwakuni, Japan, in January 2017, but the IOC declaration means they could be sent to respond to a crisis anywhere in the world.

Davis said he was pleased with the results of a tough review earlier this month, saying the new jets did an "incredibly impressive" job in targeting and "killing" enemy aircraft and providing close air support for troops on the ground.

He said the pilots were even able to carry out an armed reconnaissance mission in a "very high threat" environment that older fourth-generation fighter jets like the Boeing Co (NYSE: BA - news) F/A-18 and AV-8B Harrier had not been subjected.

That meant the F-35 jets would have been able to find key Scud missile sites like those targeted in Iraq during the first Gulf War, even if they were heavily protected by air defense equipment, Davis said.

Davis said the jets needed work, including new software that would allow them to carry more weapons, including a gun, generate full streaming video feeds and integrate full night vision capability, and those capabilities would be added in coming years.

He said he was also concerned about increasing production of spare parts, ensuring sufficient maintenance staff and bolstering current mission readiness rates of 60 to 65 percent even beyond the planned target of close to 80 percent.

Davis said he did not expect the Marine Corps to scale back its plans to buy a total of 420 F-35 B-model and C-model jets, given the age and condition of the current fleet.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Leslie Adler)