Only a quarter of the F-35s in the U.S. were fully operational — Business Insider
Last year, only about 25% of U.S. F-35 fighter jets were fully combat-ready. According to Business Insider, this was due to a shortage of spare parts and software issues.
The F-35s have experienced a decline in combat readiness because maintenance issues are limiting their ability to perform missions. This is stated in a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a congressional oversight agency.
In particular, the report notes that the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet is the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons program, with total acquisition and maintenance costs exceeding $2 trillion.
At the same time, experts say that as costs rise, persistent problems are limiting the aircraft’s operational range. The military has spent billions of dollars to improve combat readiness, but these efforts have not yielded the desired results.
According to the report, the advanced aircraft’s mission readiness rate—or the amount of time available to carry out a single mission—declined from 67% to 44% between fiscal years 2021 and 2025. The full mission readiness rate—the percentage of time during which the F-35 can perform all of its missions—fell from 38% to 25%.
The organization cited several issues contributing to this decline, including a shortage of spare parts and software problems. Maintenance issues have resulted in many F-35s being grounded for extended periods.
The publication notes that the Pentagon is attempting to address the issue with a $13.7 billion plan aimed at improving the fleet’s availability by the end of the decade.
However, experts believe this plan will require more funding than previously anticipated.
The GAO issued three recommendations, urging the Department of Defense to develop risk mitigation plans, better align contractor incentives with aircraft performance goals, and ensure the Pentagon better monitors these incentives.
The F-35 Program Office stated that it agrees with the GAO’s findings:
“We fully support all three recommendations to improve fleet readiness, refine contract incentive structures, and implement rigorous financial quality control.”
Source: Business Insider.
Earlier, Poland officially adopted the F-35 fighter jets into service.
Meanwhile, Israel plans to equip its helicopters and fighter jets with combat lasers.
