F-35 Sustainment: Enhanced Attention to and Oversight of F-35 Affordability Are Needed
Abstract
F-35 mission capable rates--a measure of the readiness of an aircraft fleet--have recently improved, but still fall short of warfighter requirements, as discussed in our draft report. Specifically, from fiscal year 2019 to fiscal year 2020, the U.S. F-35 fleets average annual (1) mission capable rate--the percentage of time during which the aircraft can fly and perform one of its tasked missions--improved from 59 to 69 percent; and (2) full mission capable rate--the percentage of time during which the aircraft can perform all of its tasked missions--improved from 32 to 39 percent. Both metrics fall below the services' objectives. For example, in fiscal year 2020 the Air Force F-35A full mission capable rate was 54 percent, versus a 72 percent objective. Since 2012, F-35 estimated sustainment costs over its 66-year life cycle have increased steadily, from $1.11 trillion to $1.27 trillion, despite efforts to reduce costs. The services face a substantial and growing gap between estimated sustainment costs and affordability constraints--i.e., costs per tail (aircraft) per year that the services project they can afford--totaling about $6 billion in 2036 alone (see fig.). The services will collectively be confronted with tens of billions of dollars in sustainment costs that they project as unaffordable during the program.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 22, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1157518
Entities
People
- Alissa Czyz
- Amie Lesser
- Cheryl Weissman
- Diana Maurer
- Elizabeth Morris
- Ethan Kennedy
- Jeff Hubbard
- Jennifer Leotta
- John Bumgarner
- Juan Collymore
- Terry Richardson
- Vincent Buquicchio
- William Lamping
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office