Ongoing headaches with F-35 fighter jets are rippling through the rest of the US military's combat aircraft fleet
Michael Peck Jan 12, 2023, 6:09 PM
The F-35 program has been plagued by years of delays, cost overruns, and technical glitches.
Those problems have prompted the Pentagon to extend the service lives of older combat jets.
Extensions keep jets flying but don't guarantee they will meet future needs, a government watchdog says.
Years of delays, cost overruns, and technical glitches with the F-35 have put the Pentagon in a dilemma.
If F-35s aren't fit to fly in sufficient numbers, then older aircraft such as the F-16 must be kept in service to fill the gap. In turn, having to extend the lifespan of older planes consumes money that could be used to acquire new aircraft and results in aging warplanes that may not be capable of fulfilling their missions on the current battlefield.
https://www.businessinsider.com/ongoing-f35-fighter-jet-problems-affect-whole-us-military-fleet-2023-1
