Defense News
April 22, 2021 / 8:20 PM
GAO: Poor planning, sustainment problems driving F-35 costs
By
Christen McCurdy
April 22 (UPI) -- The Pentagon should develop a plan to ensure it can afford to sustain the future F-35 fleet, said a Government Accountability Office report release Thursday.
According to the report, the Defense Department plans to acquire nearly 2,500 F-35 aircraft for a cost of $400 billion, but the costs of sustainment are far higher -- and have climbed steadily upward over the last decade.
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Estimated sustainment costs for the jet over its 66-year service life have increased steadily, from $1.11 trillion to $1.27 trillion since 2012, according to the GAO.
https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2021/04/22/F35-GAO-report-Congress/7851619136682/
