- Only one in four F-35s reached full mission capability
- Mission Capability Rates Dropped Sharply Between 2021 and 2025
- Software delays continue to impact readiness of newly delivered aircraft
The Pentagon’s F-35 fighter fleet continues to face readiness challenges despite years of investment, modernization efforts and sustained contractor support, as a report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that only 25% of aircraft were at full mission capability during fiscal year 2025.
According to the GAO, the fleet’s mission capable rate decreased from 67% in fiscal year 2021 to 44% in fiscal year 2025.
The total mission capability rate, which measures aircraft capable of performing all assigned missions, fell from 38% to 25% during the same period.
Preparedness declines despite billions spent on sustainment efforts
The findings raise questions about a program that is expected to cost about $1.6 trillion in lifetime maintenance costs in the United States while also serving as the backbone of American air power.
U.S. Air Force officials attributed some of the deterioration to software delays affecting newly delivered planes, along with concerns about corrosion and a persistent shortage of replacement components.
The report describes the F-35 as the Defense Department’s most expensive weapons program, although it notes that performance goals remain unmet.
The Pentagon currently operates more than 800 F-35s, with plans to acquire approximately 1,700 additional aircraft by the mid-2040s.
Meanwhile, the Joint Program Office launched the Global Support Solution Reset in June 2025 to improve readiness and reverse years of declining availability.
Program officials set ambitious goals under the initiative, seeking an 80% mission capable rate and a 65% total mission capable rate by 2030.
Achieving those goals is expected to require an additional $13.7 billion through fiscal year 2031, beyond previous planning assumptions.
Only about $2.2 billion is directly associated with the restart initiative, while about $11.5 billion covers sustainment needs that exceed previous budget projections.
The GAO warned that preparedness levels could continue to deteriorate before significant improvements emerge.
Internal program documentation reviewed by auditors indicated that measurable gains may not appear until late 2026 or later.
The report also noted that the Joint Program Office will rely on industry partners to deliver more than $7 billion in materials despite current manufacturing limitations.
Incentive payments and supply shortages remain under scrutiny
A 2025 Lockheed Martin study identified 48 components that suppliers currently cannot manufacture in sufficient quantities.
That shortage includes aircraft canopies, which the GAO has repeatedly identified as a major contributor to grounded fighters.
Auditors also projected that by the mid-2030s, the military services could face an annual maintenance shortfall of about $1.2 billion.
The report examined incentive payments to contractors and concluded that rewards focused on readiness often did not produce the expected results.
Between 2020 and 2023, Lockheed Martin received more than $114 million of approximately $269 million in available incentive fees, even as overall preparedness measures stagnated or declined.
In 19 of 39 performance periods, recorded readiness figures were adjusted upward due to factors considered outside the contractor’s control.
GAO also found inconsistent documentation surrounding incentive calculations and payment tracking practices.
Since 2014, auditors have issued 46 maintenance recommendations related to the F-35 program, although only 14 had been implemented as of March 2026.
That 30% implementation rate, spanning more than a decade of oversight, suggests that the Pentagon’s appetite to act on independent findings remains limited at best.
Via Defense News
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds.
