WASHINGTON — The F-35 fighter jet has been plagued for two decades by rising costs and delays. The cost to taxpayers for America's most expensive weapons system program is now projected to exceed $2 trillion.
Now, a new watchdog reports faults not just by the military but also by the manufacturers.
Delivery of the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet is on hold and may take up to a year to resume, according to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.
Despite finally achieving full-rate production in March, the GAO found that problems with F-35 hardware and software have led to new delays and cost overruns.
"The F-35's contractors continue to deliver the engines and aircraft late — a trend that worsened in the last few years," the report states.
The audit points out that Pratt & Whitney has delivered engines late 100% of the time. Meanwhile, according to the report, Lockheed Marin has delivered the aircraft late 91% of the time.
"There's a contractual delivery date. They didn't meet it in the case of the engines at all. They didn't meet it once. That's a concern. Look none of this has looked good for the program office or the contractors in this program," said GAO Contracting and National Security Acquisitions Team Director Jon Ludwigson.
Despite the setbacks, Ludwigson, in an interview with 13News Now, said he is still upbeat about the airplane.
"I think it's really important that we not lose sight of the fact that the F-35 is a remarkable platform for the U.S. and our allies," he said.
Across the military, there are currently about 630 F-35s — with the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy planning to buy more than 1,800 more of them between now and 2088.