D.C., DC — A concerning new report faults the Defense of Defense over its record on acquisitions of new military weapons systems.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that delivery of items such as ships and jets continues to take longer than planned—affecting the DOD's ability to meet threats.
The report analyzed 101 of the costliest weapon programs, studying everything from supplier disruptions and industrial base problems to software development issues and quality control deficiencies.
Included in that list were the F-35 Lightning Two Joint Strike Fighter and the Navy's Gerald R. Ford class of aircraft carriers.
The report said the challenges persist, in spite of recent reforms in the acquisition process intended to help deliver systems to the warfighter in a more timely manner.
"Why are we continuing to experience scheduling delays when the focus and the emphasis is in speeding up getting capabilities to the warfighter?" said GAO Contracting and National Security Acquisitions Team Director Shelby Oakley.
In an interview with 13News Now, she said the F-35 program in particular "has been kind of a disaster from the very beginning."
The reports said net costs for the 32 major defense acquisition programs that GAO assessed both this year and last year increased by $37 billion.
The report blamed rising modernization costs, production inefficiencies, and supply chain challenges, which it said drove the majority of the cost.