Skip to main content

Joint Strike Fighter: Restructuring Should Improve Outcomes, but Progress Is Still Lagging Overall

GAO-11-450T Published: Mar 15, 2011. Publicly Released: Mar 15, 2011.
Jump To:
Skip to Highlights

Highlights

The F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), is the Department of Defense's (DOD) most costly and ambitious aircraft acquisition, seeking to simultaneously develop and field three aircraft variants for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and eight international partners. The JSF is critical for recapitalizing tactical air forces and will require a long-term commitment to very large annual funding outlays. The estimated total investment cost is currently about $385 billion to develop and procure 2,457 aircraft. Because of a history of relatively poor cost and schedule outcomes, defense leadership over the past year has directed a comprehensive restructuring of the JSF program that is continuing. This testimony draws substantially from our extensive body of work on the JSF, including the current annual review mandated in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, Pub. L. No. 111-84 244 (2009). Our draft report is being reviewed by the Department and we expect to issue it early next month. That report and this testimony discusses (1) program cost and schedule changes and their implications on affordability; (2) progress made during 2010; (3) design and manufacturing maturity; and (4) test plans and progress. GAO's work included analyses of a wide range of program documents and interviews with defense and contractor officials.

Full Report

GAO Contacts

Michael J. Sullivan
Director
Contracting and National Security Acquisitions

Media Inquiries

Sarah Kaczmarek
Managing Director
Office of Public Affairs

Topics

Aircraft industryCost analysisDefense capabilitiesDefense procurementFederal procurementFighter aircraftFuture budget projectionsMilitary aircraftMilitary forcesOperational testingPrices and pricingProcurementProduct evaluationSchedule slippagesStrategic planningSystems designTestingCost estimatesProgram costs