Inside the Navy highlights

Some must-reads from this week's issue of Inside the Navy:

1. The Joint Strike Fighter availability rate holds at a steady 50 percent, but a new report from the Pentagon's top weapons tester reveals an increase in the number of jets that cannot fly because maintenance personnel are awaiting replacement parts.

Full Story: F-35 availability rate holds at 50 percent, jets await replacement parts

2. The Marine Corps modified the interior layout of the Assault Amphibious Vehicle Survivability Upgrade so that a troop commander can easily exit the vehicle through the ramp in the back.

Full Story: Marines modify amphib vehicle design to support troop commander egress

3. The Navy is broadening the mission set of the P-8A Poseidon fleet to include anti-surface warfare, disaster response, search and rescue and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

Full Story: Navy broadens concept of operations for multibillion-dollar P-8A fleet