Understanding 44% spike in F-35 sustainment costs over six years
In the wake of debates surrounding the F-35 fifth-generation fighter program, the presentation by the House Armed Services Committee brought to light some significant concerns about the program.
At the heart of these discussions was the recent audit conducted by the Government Accountability Office, which showed a steep 44% increase in the projected sustainment costs of the program from 2018 to 2023. This surge has resulted in a jump from $1.1 trillion in 2018 to a staggering $1.58 trillion for the lifespan of the fleet.
Adding insult to injury, these figures do not account for the planned future expenditure of $2 trillion to acquire an additional 1,800 airframes. The audit report also highlights the fighter’s distinctively dismal “full mission capable rate”; a record it holds as the lowest within the fleet, rivaled only by the equally problematic F-22.
The report states that, in that particular year, the full mission capable rate for the F-35B variant was a disappointing 14.9 percent. This makes it the most expensive and complex model to handle amongst its counterparts in the F-35 series.
