US EditionUS watchdog says F-35s flew half the time in 2024 due to Lockheed maintenance issues
The Pentagon paid Lockheed Martin $1.7 billion despite F-35 jets flying only 50% of the time in 2024 due to maintenance failures and weak contract enforcement, the watchdog said.
- Dec 23 the Defense Department’s Office of the Inspector General found the U.S. F-35 fleet averaged 50% availability in 2024, 17% below minimum requirements due to Lockheed Martin maintenance issues.
- The F-35 Joint Program Office omitted measurable readiness metrics and Pentagon program managers did not consistently hold Lockheed Martin accountable for sustainment, the report said.
- Audit details show the DoD made payments totaling about $1.7 billion despite jets being unavailable half the time, and earlier GAO reports flagged bonuses on late deliveries.
- The program’s scale — more than $2 trillion — frames policy reactions as the Air Force halved its 2026 F-35 request amid rising upgrade costs, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth increased scrutiny.
- Longer-Term reviews point to systemic reliability problems as government watchdogs cite chronic defects and reliability concerns that weaken operational readiness, deepening tensions between oversight bodies and program managers.
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The U.S. Military’s F-35 Fighter Fleet Is Only 50 Percent ‘Mission-Capable’
Synopsis: A new Defense Department Inspector General report says U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps F-35 fighters were mission-capable only about half the time in fiscal year 2024—well below the program’s minimum target. -The watchdog faults sustainment execution and oversight, arguing the Joint Program Office did not build clear, measurable readiness requirements into Lockheed […] The post The U.S. Military’s F-35 Fighter Fleet Is Only 50 P…
Pentagon watchdog criticizes Lockheed Martin for F-35's lack of flight readiness due to maintenance issues
According to report, Pentagon paid Lockheed Martin $1.7 billion without any economic adjustment, although jets 'did not meet the minimum requirements' - Anadolu Ajansı
US watchdog says F-35s flew half the time in 2024 due to Lockheed maintenance issues
U.S. F-35 fighter jets were available to fly only half the time in 2024 due to maintenance shortcomings by Lockheed Martin , a report from the Defense Department's Office of the Inspector General said.
DOD IG report on F-35 sustainment contracts
Tuesday, December 23, 2025The Dec. 19, 2025 Defense Department inspector general's report assesses "DOD’s oversight of contractor performance on air vehicle sustainment contracts for the F‑35 Joint Strike Fighter (F‑35) aircraft." Featured: Related Documents Tags: F-35DODIG
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