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The number of F-35 fighter jets capable of performing their missions is “far below program goals,” and the Defense Department and its private-sector partners are “behind schedule” with their maintenance of the cutting-edge aircraft, a congressional watchdog said in a major report released Thursday.
The stinging study from the Government Accountability Office comes amid a deepening mystery over an F-35 fighter jet that crashed in South Carolina last weekend. The Marine Corps pilot ejected from the cockpit of that plane on Sunday afternoon, but the F-35 Lightning II continued flying undetected before crashing in a field outside Charleston. The reasons for the ejection, the crash and the delay in locating the $100 million lost plane all remain unclear.
The incident has sparked another round of criticism aimed at the $1.7 trillion F-35 program, the Defense Department, and the program’s lead contractor, Lockheed Martin. The F-35 for years has been a punching bag for lawmakers and other critics who say it’s become a prime example of a runaway military program that is perpetually behind schedule and over budget, while failing to deliver on its lofty performance promises.
Pentagon officials and some aviation specialists have vehemently defended the program and said the jet offers unmatched capabilities and will provide a decisive edge for the U.S. and its allies in any future conflict. Lockheed Martin has previously told The Washington Times that the aircraft is “critical to a strong national defense and it is the cornerstone of the U.S. fighter fleet,” and insisted the company is working to reduce production costs and other expenses.
But Thursday’s audit from the GAO again casts a spotlight on the significant problems the plane has encountered and could continue to struggle with in the future. Those problems mainly revolve around the sky-high long-term operational, maintenance and sustainment costs, which account for at least $1.3 trillion of the program’s lifetime price tag of $1.7 trillion, the GAO said. Far beyond just numbers on a page, the independent oversight agency said the maintenance and sustainment issues affect the F-35’s ability to do its job.
“Maintenance challenges negatively affect F-35 aircraft readiness. The F-35 fleet mission capable rate — the percentage of time the aircraft can perform one of its tasked missions — was about 55% in March 2023, far below program goals,” the GAO said.
“This performance was due in part to challenges with depot and organizational maintenance. The program was behind schedule in establishing depot maintenance activities to conduct repairs,” the report said. “As a result, component repair times remained slow with over 10,000 waiting to be repaired — above desired levels. At the same time, organizational-level maintenance has been affected by a number of issues, including a lack of technical data and training.”
The GAO also said that the Defense Department hasn’t yet found the “desired mix of government and contractor roles” to ensure efficient upkeep of the F-35, nor “identified and obtained the technical data needed to support its desired mix.”
The bleak report will give more fuel to critics who say it’s time to rethink the F-35 program — and perhaps even begin shifting money to other initiatives. That seems unlikely, however, given the massive long-term commitment the Pentagon has made to the program under the administrations of both parties.
About 450 F-35 jets have been fielded so far, the GAO said, deployed by the Air Force, Navy and Marines.
The Pentagon is planning to procure nearly 2,500 more in the coming years. U.S. allies abroad also will use the plane, and a total of about 3,500 are expected to be produced globally.
Reports of technical problems, cost overruns and behind-schedule maintenance have plagued the F-35 program for years. Last weekend’s crash in South Carolina provided even more negative publicity.
Witnesses in South Carolina told NBC News this week that the aircraft appeared to be flying almost “inverted” and just 100 feet above treetops before it crashed. It’s unclear why the pilot ejected from the aircraft, nor is it clear why the F-35’s transponder wasn’t working, which prevented the military from easily tracking the plane and locating its debris once it crashed.
It took more than 24 hours to locate the debris field, leading to numerous jokes from comedians and a flood of mocking memes on social media.
In its report, the GAO made seven specific recommendations to address costs and maintenance delays, and to better clarify the specific roles of the Pentagon, its various offices, Lockheed Martin, and other subcontractors. The Defense Department concurred with all of those recommendations.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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