The F-35 program is costing more and doing less, GAO says – By Audrey Decker (Defense One) / April 15, 2024
Total sustainment costs are now expected to top $1.5 trillion, even as the jet’s mission-readiness declines.
The estimated lifetime cost to operate and maintain the Pentagon’s F-35s just took a big jump, even though the U.S. military is flying the jet less.
The total cost of operating and maintaining the triservice jet is now expected to surpass $1.5 trillion, up 44% since a 2018 estimate, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. The increase largely reflects the military’s decision to push the aircraft’s retirement from 2077 to 2088, but also includes other factors that are driving costs up.
The Defense Department has tried to reduce costs on the program, but “DOD officials generally agree that these efforts are not likely to fundamentally change the estimated costs to operate the aircraft,” the report said.
GAO also notes that the Pentagon plans to fly the F-35 fighter jet less often than originally planned, due partly to “reliability issues,” GAO said, which have contributed to a five-year decline in readiness.
