Pentagon lacks big picture for fighter jet procurement, watchdog says
By Rachel S. Cohen
Friday, Dec 23
A federal watchdog wants to make sure the U.S. military is getting the best bang for its buck when buying new aircraft.
The Pentagon plans to spend about $100 billion in the next five years to modernize its tactical aviation fleets — that is, fighter jets, attack planes and electronic warfare platforms. But the military should look at those plans holistically to avoid wasting money and duplicating effort, the Government Accountability Office argued in a report published Tuesday.
“Without an analysis of the tactical aircraft platform portfolio and a requirement to report underlying information externally, DOD and Congress will continue to have limited information when making major investment decisions,” GAO said.
By Valerie Insinna
That lack of transparency threatens to make the fiscal 2024 budget less effective than it otherwise might be, the researchers warned. Poorly informed decisions now could jeopardize U.S. troops in a potential fight against another advanced military like those of Russia or China.
https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2022/12/23/pentagon-lacks-big-picture-for-fighter-jet-procurement-watchdog-says/
