WASHINGTON — More trouble for the U.S. military's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
The plane's mission-capable rate — the percentage of time the jet can perform one of its tasked missions — was about 55% in March.
That is far below the program's goal of 85%.
A new report from the Government Accountability Office says the Defense Department, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps need to reassess their sustainment strategy for the F-35 to improve aircraft readiness.
"Taxpayers have already spent billions and billions and billions for dollars on this program. We're going tp spend nearly $2 trillion by the time it's all said and done. They deserve a better outcome. It's not been a good value for their money in terms of the ability to meet mission-capable goals," said Diana Maurer, the GAO's Director, Defense Capabilities and Management. in an interview Friday with 13News Now.
The GAO estimates that the F-35 program will cost $1.7 trillion in the coming decades. Most of hat would go towards the aircraft's maintenance.