A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report reveals that just over half of the U.S. military’s F-35 jets were mission-capable earlier this year due to a repair backlog. To keep planes in the air, the program office has resorted to buying new parts instead of waiting for repairs, a tactic that the Department of Defense (DOD) admits is unsustainable. This practice is also delaying the construction of repair depots that could alleviate the backlog. The low mission-capable rate of 55 percent is far below the program’s goal of 85 to 90 percent and has remained stagnant since 2022.
  

Key Points: 

1. As of March 2023, the mission-capable rate of the U.S. Lightning II fleet stood at 55 percent, failing to meet the program’s target of 85 to 90 percent.
2. To manage a backlog of more than 10,000 F-35 parts awaiting repair, the program office has started purchasing new parts—an approach the DOD acknowledges is unsustainable in the long term.
3. The unanticipated spending on new parts may hinder the establishment of military service depots needed for repair work, potentially perpetuating low mission-capable rates.
4. The DOD is considering a performance-based logistics contract with Lockheed Martin but is torn due to flexibility concerns over a potential five-year commitment.
5. The F-35 program is expected to cost taxpayers $1.7 trillion over its lifetime, with $1.3 trillion allocated for operating and sustaining the aircraft.

Source: https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2023/09/pentagon-propping-f-35-readiness-buying-new-parts-instead-waiting-repairs-gao-says/390522/