The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report that reviewed operation and maintenance (O&M) funding and readiness for fighter aircraft. The report found that while O&M funding execution from fiscal years 2018 to 2023 was generally consistent with requests, tactical aircraft mission capable rates have generally not met service goals. The report attributes this to several factors, including ageing aircraft, maintenance challenges, and issues with supply support.
The report highlights the F-35 programme as an example where significant investment has not translated to mission readiness. Despite increased O&M funding for the F-35A between fiscal years 2018 and 2023, the aircraft did not meet its mission capable goals in any of the years reviewed. The Navy and Marine Corps also saw increased O&M funding execution for the F-35B/C variant between fiscal years 2018 and 2023, but similarly, the aircraft did not meet its mission capable goals.
The GAO attributes the F-35’s poor mission capable rates partly to challenges with depot and organisational maintenance. By design, the Department of Defense (DoD) heavily relies on contractors to lead and manage the F-35’s sustainment. This heavy reliance on contractors has made it difficult for the DoD to control sustainment activities. The GAO also found that projected costs to sustain the F-35 grew from an estimated $1.1 trillion in fiscal year 2018 to $1.58 trillion in fiscal year 2023.
The Pentagon has indicated it wants greater control over the F-35’s sustainment. However, it has not determined the desired mix of government and contractor roles, nor has it identified and obtained the necessary technical data to support the desired mix. To address these issues, the GAO recommends that the DoD reassess F-35 sustainment elements to determine government and contractor responsibility, identify any required technical data, and finalize decisions on changes to F-35 sustainment to address performance and affordability.
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