Only a quarter of F-35 jets are fully ready

F-35 readiness – A new Government Accountability Office report says the share of U.S. F-35 stealth fighters that can complete all missions dropped sharply between fiscal years 2021 and 2025—falling from 38% to 25%. The watchdog points to spare-parts shortages, software issues,

For the F-35 program, the numbers have started to feel unforgiving. The Government Accountability Office, a congressional watchdog, reported last week that the fleet’s readiness has been trending down in recent years—at a moment when the Pentagon is counting on these jets to do more than ever.

The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter—made by Lockheed Martin and described as the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons program—now has total acquisition and sustainment costs projected to exceed $2 trillion. Yet persistent problems have limited how much the aircraft can fly. even as the military has spent billions of dollars trying to improve readiness.

The GAO’s figures show how steep the decline has been. The mission-capable rate for the advanced aircraft—the amount of time it is available to perform one mission—fell from 67% to 44% between fiscal years 2021 and 2025. The full mission-capable rate—the percentage of time the F-35 can perform all its missions—dropped from 38% to 25% over the same period.

The watchdog said the downturn is tied to spare-parts shortages and software issues. Those maintenance challenges leave too many F-35s grounded for extended periods. In response. the Pentagon has been trying to reverse the trend with a $13.7 billion readiness plan launched last year. designed to improve the fleet’s availability by the end of the decade.

But the GAO warned that the plan may need more money than previously anticipated, and that there are severe risks that could prevent success. The risks include heavy reliance on contractors for support, capacity constraints for parts, and cost gaps in keeping the F-35 running over its life-cycle.

The report also highlighted a specific dilemma around incentives. The U.S. has been paying fees to contractors to help incentivize fixing these issues. Yet the GAO said that until the Department of Defense’s plan ensures incentives result in better F-35 performance goals. “it risks rewarding contractor performance that does not help meet program goals.”.

One paragraph connects the pattern the GAO is spelling out: a drop in readiness tracked from 2021 to 2025. maintenance problems that keep aircraft grounded longer. and a readiness plan built to change the outcome—while the watchdog cautions that parts capacity. contract reliance. and incentive structures could blunt the effect.

The F-35 program stretches across services and missions. The U.S., along with several allies and partners, operates the F-35. The U.S. military runs three versions: the Air Force’s F-35A. built for conventional runways; the Marine Corps’ F-35B. able to take off from shorter runways and land vertically; and the Navy’s F-35C. designed for aircraft carriers.

Each variant is tailored to different needs. The aircraft is built for a broad set of missions, including air-to-air combat, ground attack, surveillance, and electronic warfare. U.S. defense officials have pointed to the aircraft’s growing importance across the fleet—both as a stealth system intended to penetrate hostile and denied airspace and as a quarterback for combat assets. using its advanced sensor suite to direct action.

The Pentagon’s pressure on the fleet may only intensify as the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft eventually retires. That transition could demand even more from the F-35. requiring it to take over close-air support missions. including the “Sandy” role of protecting combat search-and-rescue missions.

To address the decline, the GAO issued three recommendations. It urged the Department of Defense to ensure risk mitigation plans are developed. to align incentives for contractors better with goals for the aircraft. and to track these incentives more carefully. The F-35 Joint Program Office said it agreed with the findings. telling Business Insider: “We fully support all three recommendations to enhance fleet readiness. improve contract incentive structures. and implement rigorous financial quality controls.”.

F-35 GAO readiness mission-capable rate contractor incentives spare parts shortages software issues Lockheed Martin Pentagon readiness plan defense spending