- Only one in four F-35s achieved full mission capability
- Mission capacity declined sharply between 2021 and 2025
- Software delays continue to affect readiness across newly delivered aircraft
The Pentagon’s F-35 fighter fleet continues to face readiness challenges despite years of investment, modernization efforts and ongoing contractor support, as a US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that only 25% of the aircraft were fully mission capable by fiscal year 2025.
According to the GAO, the Navy’s mission-capable rate fell from 67% in fiscal year 2021 to 44% in fiscal year 2025.
The fully mission capable rate, which measures aircraft capable of performing all assigned missions, fell from 38% to 25% during the same period.
Preparedness is falling despite the fact that billions have been spent on sustained efforts
The findings raise questions about a program expected to cost ~$1.6 trillion in lifetime US maintenance costs while serving as the backbone of US air power.
US Air Force officials attributed part of the deterioration to software delays affecting recently delivered aircraft, along with corrosion concerns and persistent shortages of replacement components.
The report described the F-35 as the Defense Department’s most expensive weapons program, while noting that performance goals remain unmet.
More than 800 F-35s are currently operated by the Pentagon, with plans to acquire about 1,700 additional jets 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 capability rate and a 65% fully mission fit rate by 2030.
Achieving these 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 related to the reset initiative, while about $11.5 billion covers maintenance requirements that exceed previous budget projections.
The GAO warned that preparedness levels could continue to deteriorate before meaningful 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 depend on industry partners to provide more than $7 billion in materials despite ongoing production constraints.
Incentive payments and supply shortages remain under control
A 2025 Lockheed Martin study identified 48 components that suppliers cannot currently manufacture in sufficient quantities.
These deficiencies include aircraft canopies, which the GAO has repeatedly identified as a major contributor to grounded fighter aircraft.
Auditors also predicted that by the mid-2030s, the military services could face an annual deficit of about $1.2 billion.
The report examined contractor incentive payments and concluded that contingency-focused rewards often did not produce expected results.
Between 2020 and 2023, Lockheed Martin received more than $114 million from ~$269 million in available incentive fees, although contingency measures generally stagnated or declined.
In 19 out of 39 performance periods, recorded contingency numbers were adjusted upward due to factors considered beyond the contractor’s control.
GAO also found inconsistent documentation around incentive calculations and payment tracking practices.
Since 2014, auditors have issued 46 sustainment recommendations regarding the F-35 program, although only 14 had been implemented by March 2026.
This 30% implementation rate, spanning more than a decade of oversight, suggests that the Pentagon’s appetite for acting on independent findings remains limited at best.
Via Defense news
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