GAO Report on F-35 Supply Chain Challenges
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a new product support and sustainment-focused report entitled “F-35 Aircraft Sustainment: DOD Needs to Address Substantial Supply Chain Challenges (GAO-19-321)”.
According to the GAO, “DOD needs to address supply chain issues with the F-35 advanced fighter jet, the country's most expensive weapons system with projected operating costs of more than $1 trillion. The U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy share a pool of spare parts with partners around the world. But shortages, repair backlogs, and mismatched parts are keeping F-35s on the ground. For example, F-35 aircraft were unable to fly nearly 30% of the time from May through November 2018 because they didn't have the parts they needed.”
The GAO went on to state that “while DOD has taken steps to address these challenges and others, we’ve made eight recommendations that address these specific issues.”
According to the GAO, “DOD needs to address supply chain issues with the F-35 advanced fighter jet, the country's most expensive weapons system with projected operating costs of more than $1 trillion. The U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy share a pool of spare parts with partners around the world. But shortages, repair backlogs, and mismatched parts are keeping F-35s on the ground. For example, F-35 aircraft were unable to fly nearly 30% of the time from May through November 2018 because they didn't have the parts they needed.”
The GAO went on to state that “while DOD has taken steps to address these challenges and others, we’ve made eight recommendations that address these specific issues.”