Tactical Aircraft Investments: DOD Needs Additional Portfolio Analysis to Inform Future Budget Decisions
Fast Facts
DOD is upgrading its fleet of fighter and attack planes, known as tactical aircraft. Most of these planes—purchased in the 1970s and 80s—have outlived their planned service lives.
Over the next 5 years, DOD is proposing to spend nearly $100 billion on major investments and changes to its current mix of tactical aircraft. This includes
- modernizing existing aircraft
- buying and developing new aircraft
- retiring a significant number of aircraft
We recommended that DOD analyze its portfolio of tactical aircraft investments, including interdependencies and tradeoffs among the different planes, and report on its findings to Congress.
DOD is proposing investing $14.2 billion in the F-35C over the next 5 years
Highlights
What GAO Found
Tactical aircraft—fixed-wing fighter and attack planes—provide air-to-air, air-to-ground, and electronic warfare capabilities that are vital to combat operations and homeland defense. Recent studies conducted by the Department of Defense's (DOD) Joint Staff and the military services have found that DOD needs to modernize its tactical aircraft fleet. Seven of eight studies found that existing aircraft did not have the capabilities needed to compete in future combat scenarios and some noted the need to invest in advanced technologies to address future needs. Three of the studies, which the Navy prepared, identified shortfalls in the Navy's capacity, or inventory of tactical aircraft.
Over the next 5 years, the military services are proposing to acquire new aircraft while modernizing existing ones. Overall, the Air Force and Navy expect to spend roughly $20 billion annually across the tactical aircraft portfolio through 2027 to develop and produce new aircraft (see figure). At the same time, the services are proposing to retire a significant number of aircraft, reducing overall tactical aircraft capacity.
Departments of Air Force and Navy Tactical Aircraft Acquisition Funding Plans, Fiscal Years 2023-2027
DOD is making significant development and procurement investments but has not yet conducted integrated acquisition portfolio-level analyses of its tactical aircraft platforms. GAO has long reported on needed improvements to DOD's portfolio management practices such as collectively analyzing program interdependencies and risks. Portfolio management best practices state that comprehensive portfolio analyses should include potential tradeoffs and risks, among other things. While DOD has taken steps to improve portfolio management practices and conducted some integrated portfolio analyses, it has not yet conducted such an analysis of its fixed-wing tactical aircraft platform portfolio. Further, DOD guidance does not require that information underlying these analyses be reported to Congress. 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.
Why GAO Did This Study
Most of DOD's existing tactical aircraft first entered service in the 1970s and 1980s and have exceeded their original service lives. As DOD seeks to modernize its tactical aircraft fleet, it must balance sustaining older aircraft currently in operation with developing and procuring more advanced capabilities to support the future force. This is a public version of a sensitive report issued in November 2022. Aircraft divestment details were deemed sensitive and have been omitted from this report.
A House report included a provision for GAO to review DOD's tactical aircraft capability gaps and capacity shortfalls, among other things. GAO's review (1) describes DOD tactical aircraft studies regarding projected gaps and shortfalls and (2) assesses DOD portfolio-level analyses informing tactical aircraft investments.
GAO reviewed eight military service and DOD studies completed between January 2020 and January 2022; analyzed budget documentation and related investment analyses for selected piloted aircraft in the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps tactical aircraft fleets; examined DOD portfolio management guidance and decision-making processes; discussed them with relevant officials; and compared those processes to portfolio management best practices.
Recommendations
GAO is recommending that DOD (1) conduct integrated acquisition portfolio-level analysis of all fixed-wing tactical aircraft platforms and (2) require the information underpinning that analysis be provided to Congress. DOD generally concurred with GAO's recommendations.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should conduct an integrated acquisition portfolio review of all piloted fixed-wing tactical aircraft platforms. This review should analyze key elements including, but not limited to, portfolio goals; potential overlap; potential tradeoffs; capability gaps; risk; and cost, schedule, and performance information on each platform within the portfolio. (Recommendation 1) |
Following issuance of our report, the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment completed an integrated acquisition portfolio review of piloted fixed-wing aircraft programs. This integrated acquisition portfolio review included both Air Force and Navy piloted fixed-wing aircraft along with relevant tactical aircraft weapons. In February 2024, the results of the integrated portfolio review were provided to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives. Completion of this integrated portfolio review and its delivery to congressional committees aligns with our recommendation.
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| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should establish a requirement that ensures the congressional defense committees receive information underpinning DOD's integrated acquisition portfolio review of all piloted fixed-wing tactical aircraft platforms. (Recommendation 2) |
While DOD did not establish a requirement to provide information from integrated acquisition portfolio reviews to Congress. A Senate Report Accompanying the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act directed the Secretary of Defense to provide quarterly briefings to the congressional defense authorization committees on the status of its tactical aircraft integrated acquisition portfolio review, beginning no later than January 31, 2024, until the review is completed and briefed to the committees. This reporting requirement is consistent with our recommendation. Throughout 2023, the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment conducted an integrated portfolio review of piloted fixed-wing aircraft programs. This integrated portfolio review included both Air Force and Navy piloted fixed-wing aircraft along with relevant tactical aircraft weapons. In February 2024, the results of the integrated portfolio analysis were provided to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives as required. Completion of this integrated analysis and its delivery to congressional committees aligns with our recommendation.
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