F-35 Lightning II
F-35 Lightning IIUS Air Force

"There's no reason to suppose that the F-35 stealth fighter will be sent to fight in Syria within the next few years. But it's likely that these planes will join F-22 Raptors in the fight against ISIS," General Robert Carlyle from the US Air Force told Aviation Week.

Israel Defense reports that General Carlyle made his remark from a British Royal Air Force base. "If the US head of CENTOM and the commanders of other military groups ask, and if it is decided that the F-35's abilities are needed in this battlefield, I will decide whether to place the aircraft in the arena."

General Carlyle added that the US Air Force plans to declare the F-35 as ready for combat on August 1. Lockheed Martin and other military production companies have spent the past few months working out bugs and improving the Autonomics Logistics Information System (ALIS). This is the final step before the F-35s become operational.

A few weeks ago, a squadron of F-35s was sent to the Mountain Home base in Idaho in order to examine their readiness for deployments to bases without the special infrastructure designed for stealth aircraft.

The tests were declared a success. "This is an important factor prior to the expected operational declaration," said General Carlyle.

Israel recently welcomed the first of its new fleet of F-35s.