GAO issues F-35 sustainment recommendations to Defense Department

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued the Department of Defense (DOD) a series of recommendations regarding F-35 aircraft fleet sustainment.

The GAO review stems from the DOD’s plan to acquire nearly 2,500 F-35 aircraft for about $400 billion and project expenditures totaling an additional $1.27 trillion to operate and sustain the aircraft.

The GAO indicated a House of Representatives report paired with the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 included a provision for GAO to review F-35 sustainment efforts. The report assessed the extent to which the F-35 has met required mission capable rates and DOD has reduced the F-35’s estimated life cycle sustainment costs while meeting affordability constraints.

Upon completion of its review, the GAO recommended the Secretary of Defense ensure the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment assesses and documents DOD’s ability to meet the services’ affordability constraints with existing or planned cost-reduction efforts; ensure the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment assesses and documents changes in service-related program requirements to achieve cost-reductions; ensure the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment develops and documents a program-wide plan for achieving affordability constraints with detailed actions tied to milestones and resources; and ensure the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment develops and documents a risk-management approach for addressing potential challenges or making adjustments to achieve affordability objectives.