The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a new report of potential interest to the defense acquisition workforce entitled “GAO-23-106047 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: More Actions Needed to Explain Cost Growth and Support Engine Modernization Decision’.

According to the GAO auditors, “The Department of Defense's most expensive weapon system—the F-35 aircraft—is now more than a decade behind schedule and $183 billion over original cost estimates. This program is weighing options to upgrade its engine and cooling system. But it hasn't taken some important steps, such as fully assessing the costs and technical risks of the different options. DOD also doesn't plan to manage the upgrades as a separate acquisition program. This would limit Congress's insight into possible future cost increases. We recommended ways to address these and other issues, including actions DOD should take and Congress should consider.”

The GAO also recently issued a separate report entitled “GAO-23-105239 Environmental Sustainability: DOD Should Identify Workforce Capacity Needed to Achieve Goals.” In this report, the GAO stated “In FY 2021, the Department of Defense used three times as much energy as all other federal agencies combined. President Biden issued an executive order in December 2021 requiring federal agencies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, energy and water use, and waste. DOD is working to comply with this executive order. For instance, it is increasing funding for key energy conservation projects. However, we found that DOD may not have enough staff with the necessary skills and expertise to effectively implement this order. We recommended that DOD conduct an assessment to identify the staff it needs to do so.” On a related note, DAU offers several learning assets onthe subject of sustainability, including:

• CLC 046 DoD Sustainable Procurement Program
• LOG 0430 Green Logistics: Planning for Sustainability
• Sustainability ACQuipedia Article