US report flags performance, cost issues of F-35 amid Trump’s offer to India
As US President Donald Trump proposes the deal for a fifth generation F-35 fighter to India, a US report on the performance of the aircraft is catching attention. According to the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO), the F-35 fleet’s overall availability has trended downward considerably over the past five years, and none of the variants of the aircraft (i.e., the F-35A, F-35B, and F-35C) are meeting availability goals.
The United States Government Accountability Office is an independent, nonpartisan government agency within the legislative branch that provides auditing, evaluative, and investigative services for the United States Congress. It is the supreme audit institution of the federal government of the United States.
The agency is also known as the ‘congressional watchdog’. The agency is headed by the Comptroller General of the US. The comptroller general is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.
The following observations were revealed in the report on F-35, released in April 2024, by GAO:
F-35 SUSTAINMENT COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE
The F-35 aircraft is US Department of Defense (DOD) most advanced and costly weapon system. DOD currently has about 630 F-35s, plans to buy about 1,800 more, and intends to use them through 2088.
The DOD’s projected costs to sustain the F-35 fleet keep increasing—from $1.1 trillion in 2018 to $1.58 trillion in 2023 – yet the department plans to fly the aircraft less than originally estimated, partly because of reliability issues with the aircraft. The F-35’s ability to perform its mission has also trended downward over the past 5 years.
WHAT GAO REPORT FOUND
The F-35 Lightning II aircraft (F-35) is the Department of Defense’s (DOD) most ambitious and costly weapon system and it’s most advanced fighter aircraft.
DOD’s planned use of the F-35 and its availability has decreased. The Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps project they will fly the F-35 less than originally estimated on an annual basis.
The Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps’ have made progress in meeting their affordability targets (i.e., the amount of money they project they can afford to spend per aircraft per year for operating the aircraft). This is due in part to the reduction in planned flight hours, and because the Air Force increased the amount of money it projects it can afford to spend.
DOD currently estimates the Air Force will pay $6.6 million annually to operate and sustain an individual aircraft. This continues to be well above the $4.1 million original target. In June 2023, the Air Force increased the amount of money it can afford to spend per F-35 aircraft to $6.8 million per year.
DOD has pursued cost savings efforts and continues to look for new ways to reduce costs. However, DOD officials generally agree that these efforts are not likely to fundamentally change the estimated costs to operate the aircraft.
WHY GAO DID THIS STUDY
DOD plans to use the F-35 aircraft through 2088 and plans to spend over $2 trillion on acquisition and sustainment. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 includes a provision for GAO to conduct an annual review of F-35 sustainment efforts, including DOD’s ability to reduce sustainment costs, or otherwise maintain the affordability of the F-35 fleet.
This report provides information on the F-35’s sustainment cost estimates over the life of the program, actions taken by the F-35 Joint Program Office to reduce sustainment costs, and the extent to which the F-35 fleet has met performance goals.
The Government Accountability Office has made 43 recommendations to improve the F-35 program in recent years. DOD has yet to implement 30 of them.
