WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Pentagon is seeking an additional $13.7 billion to fund the sustainment of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. This request comes as the F-35's full mission capable rate decreased from 38 percent in fiscal year 2021 to 25 percent in fiscal year 2025.
The F-35's overall mission capability rate also saw a decline, dropping from 67 percent in fiscal year 2021 to 44 percent in fiscal year 2025. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) attributed part of this readiness decline to delays in the Technology Refresh 3 upgrade, which previously caused F-35 deliveries to stop.
In response to these issues, the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) launched the Global Support Solution Reset initiative in 2024. This plan targets increased spare parts supply and improved aircraft corrosion management, with planned spending allocated across fiscal year 2026 through fiscal year 2031.
JPO officials reported to the GAO that sustainment funding gaps remain despite prior Congressional appropriations. The GAO determined that the defense industrial base might struggle to meet F-35 parts demand even with increased funding. Canopy production bottlenecks have been identified as a primary factor in low F-35 mission capable rates.
The Pentagon currently lacks the technical data required for independent F-35 maintenance, according to the GAO. The JPO plans to establish a working capital fund for spare parts supply oversight, though this will not be effective until October 2028 at the earliest. The JPO also lacked accurate records of sustainment incentive fees paid to Lockheed between 2021 and 2023.
The GAO issued three recommendations: establish risk mitigation plans for the Global Support Solution Reset, improve incentive fee structures, and implement a tracking system for incentive fee metrics and payments. Projected annual operating costs for most F-35 variants in the mid-2030s increased over previous estimates due to higher anticipated flight hours.
No independent assessment was available for this report.