F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: Continued Oversight Needed as Program Plans to Begin Development of New Capabilities

Abstract

With estimated acquisition costs of nearly $400 billion, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighteralso known as the Lightning II aircraft is DOD's most costly and ambitious acquisition program. Since 2001, GAO has reported extensively on the F-35 programs cost, schedule, and performance problems. The program plans to begin increasing production rates over the next few years.The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 contains a provision for GAO to review the F-35 acquisition program. This report assesses program (1) affordability, remaining development, and ongoing manufacturing, and (2) future modernization and procurement plans. GAO analyzed total program funding requirements. GAO analyzed program documentation including management reports, test data and results, and internal DOD program analyses. GAO also collected and analyzed production and supply chain performance data, and interviewed DOD, program, and contractor officials.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2016
Accession Number
AD1011680

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Best Practices
  • Congress
  • Cost Estimates
  • Department Of Defense
  • Fighter Aircraft
  • Littoral Combat Ships
  • Logistics
  • National Security
  • Procurement
  • Short Takeoff Aircraft
  • Supply Chain
  • Tactical Aircraft
  • Test And Evaluation
  • United States Government

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Defense Financial Management and Audit.
  • Naval Engineering and Maritime Security