Fighter jets kinks will be sorted by 2017

Problems with flying in lightning and extreme heat will be sorted before Australia takes the controls of its next-generation fighter planes.

In the meantime, RAAF pilots are clocking up flying hours on F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighters and simulators in the United States.

The man managing the acquisition of the controversial Lockheed Martin aircraft is confident any teething problems will be fixed by 2017 when the first two planes touch down in Australia.

"Any complex capability is never without risk and we're working through the issues," Air Vice-Marshal Chris Deeble told reporters at a briefing in Canberra.

The problem with lightning relates to pressurisation of fuel while the extreme heat issue concerns a particular part in the weapon bays.

Up to 26 fighters are expected to be operational for Australia in 2020 with the number scaling up to 72 by 2023.

RAAF pilot Steven "Rooster" Bradley, who has been training on simulators, said in the past speed was the most important thing to guarantee survival.

Now, information would provide the edge over enemy aircraft.

For pilots it was no longer a game of mental gymnastics where they had to interpret different displays and look out the window to build a picture.

Instead a single display would now allow them to position themselves better earlier.

Bradley acknowledged the JSF didn't perform so well in a dogfight scenario against a F-16 last year.

"It's not specifically designed to dog fight, it's designed specifically to kill at long range," he said.

Australia is committed to buying 72 of the aircraft at an estimated cost $72 billion.

There are 17 Australian companies producing parts for the aircraft.

A Senate inquiry is assessing the JSF acquisition and potential alternatives.

It will report back to parliament in May 2016.

WHAT IS THE JSF?

* A stealth multi-role jet fighter designed to perform ground attack, aerial reconnaissance, and air defence missions.

* It does not need to be physically pointing at its target for weapons to be successful.

* Sensors can track and target a nearby aircraft from any orientation and provide the information to the pilot through their helmet.