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The Pentagon’s fleet of F-35 fighter jets is facing maintenance issues, leading to a mission-capable rate of only 55% as of March 2023. This falls far below the Pentagon’s target of 85% to 90%, despite the growing reliance on these aircraft by the US and its allies. The Government Accountability Office shared these findings in a report published recently.
Interestingly, this report emerged just days after a Marine Corps F-35 crashed, resulting in a search for the plane and raising concerns about how it could go missing for a day before its debris was located.
Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-35, can expect its prospects to improve as the aircraft’s share of the US’s overall tactical aviation fleet continues to grow. Each fighter jet costs the government approximately $160 million. The US military currently operates 450 F-35s, with plans to purchase an additional 2,000 by the mid-2040s. This will amount to a total cost of $1.7 trillion, including $1.3 trillion for maintenance, making it the world’s most expensive defence procurement project.
The report notes that the US military is “flying an increasing amount of operational missions” using the F-35, and this will likely be the case for the country’s allies as well. The UK defence ministry is one of the largest customers for the aircraft, and Nato and Asian nations, along with Israel, have also added F-35s to their air forces.
The GAO report highlights the negative impact of maintenance challenges on F-35 aircraft readiness. The poor condition is attributed, in part, to issues with depot and organisational maintenance. The Pentagon’s heavy reliance on contractors for maintenance limits its control over decisions regarding depot maintenance. Spare parts shortages, inadequate training, insufficient support equipment, and a lack of technical data also contribute to delays in repairs.
The GAO suggests that the Pentagon needs to reassess the sustainment strategy for the F-35 as it takes over management by October 2027. This is seen as a critical time for addressing the underlying issues affecting the readiness of these jets. Lockheed expressed its willingness to work with the government in ensuring mission readiness and enabling deterrence during this period.
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