(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has revealed a concerning statistic regarding the Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program: only 55 percent of these advanced fighter aircraft are fully capable of executing their assigned missions.
In its comprehensive report, the GAO highlighted that a myriad of critical issues have rendered half of the United States’ advanced fighter aircraft “mission capable”, a situation deemed “unacceptably low” in terms of operational readiness.
Released on Thursday, the report disclosed that as of March 2023, the mission capability rate of F-35 aircraft fell significantly short of the program’s targeted performance.
“Although the [F-35] program continues to grow and expand its scope of operations, its underlying sustainment strategy remains in question due to rising costs and poor readiness. … This is a critical time for DOD and the military services to determine adjustments that need to be made to F-35 sustainment to better achieve their desired objectives in an affordable manner,” the report authors concluded.
One of the key factors contributing to this subpar readiness is the slow pace of maintenance activities at the depot level, which Lockheed Martin, the developer of the F-35 program, has struggled to address.
Delays in depot-level maintenance activities have caused component repair times to languish, resulting in a backlog of 10,000 components awaiting repair—exceeding the program’s intended efficiency.
“Presently, American F-35 aircraft require 141 days for repairs compared to the planned 90 days,” said the report.
The report also revealed a staggering financial requirement from the U.S. Department of Defense, amounting to a total of $1.3 trillion (RM5.85 trillion), to ensure the continued airworthiness of these advanced aircraft once all maintenance efforts are completed.
Despite the challenges plaguing the F-35 program, the GAO report underscored the unwavering commitment of the Biden administration and the U.S. Department of Defense to allocate $1.7 trillion (RM7.6 trillion) toward the acquisition of 2,500 F-35 fighter aircraft for the U.S. military over the next decade.
This substantial allocation is primarily designated for operational costs, maintenance, and upgrades for these cutting-edge aircraft.
Since the inception of the F-35 fighter aircraft development program, officials within the U.S. Department of Defense have grappled with various issues related to these fifth-generation aircraft.
Interestingly, the release of the GAO report occurred just a week after a notable incident involving an F-35 fighter aircraft in South Carolina. During this incident, a U.S. F-35B (Vertical Short Take-Off Landing) stealth fighter aircraft went completely “missing” after eluding search and rescue teams following an “accidental” occurrence.
According to the U.S. media, the advanced fighter jet, valued at approximately $120 million (RM540 million) each, was successfully ejected by the pilot using an ejection seat.
The perplexing “loss” of the F-35B aircraft prompted the Joint Base Charleston Air Force to enlist the assistance of nearby residents in a collective effort to locate the fighter jet.
Joint Base Charleston spokesperson Jeremy Huggins disclosed that prior to the F-35B pilot’s ejection, the aircraft had been set in “autopilot” mode, raising the possibility that it continued to remain airborne even after the pilot had vacated the cockpit.
This incident elicited strong reactions from Republican Party representative Nancy Mace, who raised questions about how the U.S. military and government could have allowed an F-35 fighter jet to go “missing.”
“How can this aircraft lack tracking devices, and why are we now compelled to seek the public’s help in locating and recovering it?” Mace queried. — DSA
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