800+ F-35 airplane fleet struggles to justify $1.6 trillion price tag with just 25% fully mission capable rate amidst systemic software bugs and chronic hardware failures, scathing new GAO report finds

Date:
Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:10:00 +0000

Description:
The Pentagon's $1.6 trillion F-35 program reached just 25% full mission capability as software issues and shortages persisted.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Only one in four F-35s achieved full mission capability Mission capable rates fell sharply between 2021 and 2025 Software delays continue affecting readiness across newly delivered aircraft The Pentagon's F-35 fighter fleet continues to face readiness challenges despite years of investment, modernization efforts, and sustained contractor support, as a US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found only 25% of the aircraft were fully mission capable during fiscal 2025.

According to the GAO, the fleet's mission-capable rate declined from 67% in fiscal 2021 to 44% in fiscal 2025. The fully mission-capable rate, measuring aircraft able to perform all assigned missions, dropped from 38% to 25%
during the same period. Latest Videos From Watch full video here: Readiness declines despite billions spent on sustainment efforts The findings raise questions about a program expected to cost $1.6 trillion in lifetime US sustainment expenses while serving as the backbone of American air power.

US Air Force officials attributed part of the deterioration to software
delays affecting newly delivered aircraft, alongside corrosion concerns and persistent shortages of replacement components. You may like US Space Force cancels $6.27 billion Next Generation GPS project due to system issues Americas iconic B-52 Stratofortress 'BUFF' bomber gets new avionics and upgraded engines Starlink outage left 24 unmanned US Navy vessels stranded in the water

The report described the F-35 as the Defense Department's most expensive weapons program while noting that performance goals remain unmet.

More than 800 F-35s are currently operated by the Pentagon, with plans to acquire roughly 1,700 additional jets by the mid-2040s. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get
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Meanwhile, the Joint Program Office launched the Global Support Solution
Reset in June 2025 to improve readiness and reverse years of declining availability.

Program officials established ambitious objectives under the initiative, seeking an 80% mission capable rate and a 65% fully mission-capable rate by 2030.

Achieving those goals is expected to require an additional $13.7 billion through fiscal 2031 beyond previous planning assumptions. What to read next Chinese researchers claim software identifies aerodynamic flaws in US B-21 Raider One in four UK government computer systems are running on outdated technology Tech companies are leaving billions in GPU investments underutilized, report says

Only around $2.2 billion is directly associated with the reset initiative, while about $11.5 billion covers sustainment requirements exceeding earlier budget projections.

GAO warned that readiness levels could continue deteriorating before meaningful improvements emerge.

Internal program documentation reviewed by auditors indicated measurable
gains may not appear until late 2026 or later.

The report also noted the Joint Program Office will depend on industry partners to deliver more than $7 billion in materials despite ongoing manufacturing limitations. Incentive payments and supply shortages remain under scrutiny A 2025 Lockheed Martin study identified 48 components that suppliers cannot currently manufacture in sufficient quantities.

Those shortages include aircraft canopies, which GAO has repeatedly
identified as a major contributor to grounded fighters.

Auditors also projected that by the mid-2030s, military services could face
an annual sustainment shortfall of roughly $1.2 billion.

The report examined contractor incentive payments and concluded that readiness-focused rewards frequently failed to produce expected outcomes.

Between 2020 and 2023, Lockheed Martin received more than $114 million from $269 million in available incentive fees, even as readiness measures
generally stagnated or declined.

In 19 of 39 performance periods, recorded readiness figures were adjusted upward due to factors deemed outside contractor control.

GAO further found inconsistent documentation surrounding incentive calculations and payment tracking practices.

Since 2014, auditors have issued 46 sustainment recommendations concerning
the F-35 program, although only 14 had been implemented by March 2026.

That 30% implementation rate, spanning more than a decade of oversight, suggests the Pentagon's appetite for acting on independent findings remains limited at best.

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