The projected acquisition cost to develop the F-35 joint strike fighter has risen over 40 percent since 2007 from $117.2 to $395.7 billion while schedule has been pushed back six years to 2019, and DoD needs to take further actions to enhance program restructuring and address affordability risks, GAO has said.
Unit costs per aircraft have doubled since development began in 2001, and critical dates for delivering war-fighter requirements remain unsettled because of program uncertainties, according to GAO-12-437.
It said that while the total number of aircraft DoD plans to buy has not changed, it has for three straight years reduced near-term procurement quantities, deferring aircraft and costs to future years.
Some progress was made last year however, albeit mixed. The program achieved 6 of 11 important objectives. Developmental flight testing gained momentum and is now about 21 percent complete with the most challenging tasks still ahead, while performance of the short takeoff and vertical landing variant improved this year and its "probation" period to fix deficiencies was ended after one year, GAO said.
Significant challenges remain, including developing and integrating the more than 24 million lines of software code, which continues to be of concern.
GAO said most of the instability in the program has been and continues to be the result of highly concurrent development, testing, and production activities.
It called on DoD to analyze cost and program impacts from potentially reduced future funding levels and assess the capability and challenges facing the JSF’s global supply chain. The department maintains that its annual budget efforts are sufficient but agreed to assess the supply chain.
