Pentagon loses a million F-35 parts
Investigators have found that the US military can’t account for missing fighter-jet components valued at $85 million
The US Department of Defense (DOD) has been unable to account for about 1 million missing spare parts for its F-35 Lightning II fighter jet, the costliest weapon system in the nation’s history, a government review has found.
The lost parts, which include such items as bolts, tires, and landing gear, are valued at about $85 million, the Government Accountability Office(GAO) reported on Tuesday. Since 2018, the Pentagon has reviewed the circumstances surrounding only 2% of identified parts losses.
“Without DOD taking steps to ensure that these spare parts are accountable under a contract, the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) will be unable to either gain or maintain accountability over these spare parts and will not have data, such as locations, costs, and quantities, needed for financial reporting or to ensure that government interests are protected,”the GAO said.