Table pulled from GAO report on F-35 costs issued July 7, 2021. GAO Report. The Marine Corp’s F-35B jump jets cost $9.1 million per year, $2.3 million over budget. And the U.S. Navy’s F-35C jets cost $9.9 million annually—$2.4 million over budget.

How over budget is the F-35?

Table pulled from GAO report on F-35 costs issued July 7, 2021. GAO Report. The Marine Corp’s F-35B jump jets cost $9.1 million per year, $2.3 million over budget. And the U.S. Navy’s F-35C jets cost $9.9 million annually—$2.4 million over budget.

What is the F-35 program?

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), also called the Lightning II, is a strike fighter airplane being procured in different versions for the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. The F-35 program is DOD’s largest weapon procurement program in terms of total estimated acquisition cost.

What is F-35 block4?

“Block 4 is a suite of mostly classified hardware upgrades, technologies, and software drops that radically enhances F-35 combat effectiveness. The F-35 was planned and produced around a concept of spiraling more capabilities into production aircraft,” the Mitchell Study states.

Is the F-35 program in trouble?

DOT&E reports that the F-35 program still has 845 unresolved deficiencies with six still classified as Category I, or design flaws so serious that it “may cause death, severe injury, or severe occupational illness; may cause loss or major damage to a weapon system; critically restricts the combat readiness capabilities …

Are F-35 any good?

The F-35 fighter is considered by many as the most lethal and versatile aircraft of the modern era. Former Defense Secretary James Mattis even called the F-35 “critical” for the United States’ air superiority and praised its ability to integrate seamlessly with allies who have purchased the aircraft.

How many F-35 will U.S. buy?

In an eyebrow-raising move, the U.S. government is planning to buy far fewer F-35s this year than anticipated. The Pentagon will purchase just 61 F-35s in 2023, a 35 percent decrease from its previous plan to buy 94 of the fighters.

How many Jdams can F-35 carry?

Normally the F-35 has 5,700 pounds of internal weapons. In so-called “beast mode,” it can carry an estimated 22,000 pounds of munitions – internally and externally. That’s nearly four times as much ordnance.

How long is an F-35?

15.7 m
Technology

Manufacturer Lockheed Martin
Airframe Length: 15.7 m, height: 4.4 m
Wingspan 10.7 m
Wing Area 42.7m2
Weight 13,290 kg (empty), 29,900 kg (max)

What will replace the F-35?

This is the F-35 Lightning II, which will replace various tactical aircraft, including the US F-16, A-10, F/A-18A-D, AV-8B, EA-6B and British Harrier GR7, GR9s and Tornado GR4….Joint Strike Fighter program.

Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)
Prototypes Boeing X-32 Lockheed Martin X-35
Outcome X-35 selected for production as F-35 Lightning II

Why is f35 a failure?

A very expensive, time-consuming failure. The F-35 was supposed to be a low-cost, lightweight fighter jet. But with a cost of around $100 million per jet and project delays now stretching into double digits, the F-35 is one of the most high-profile failures in the history of military procurement.

What are the problems with the F-35?

A technical problem involving the F-35′s cockpit pressure regulation system led to several incidents of extreme sinus pain, or barotrauma. In April 2020, the program office believed it would be able to resolve the problem in 2021 after flight testing the fix.

Why is the F-35 program costing more money?

The Pentagon announced this week that the projected total cost for buying the F-35 has spiked this year, driven mostly by slower-than-expected United States Air Force procurement. This is an increase of $27 billion on a program that has been over-budget for almost a decade.

What are the F-35 affordability issues for Congress?

An additional potential issue for Congress for the F-35 program concerns the affordability of the F-35, particularly in the context of projected shortfalls in both Air Force fighters and Navy and Marine Corps strike fighters.

What does F-35 stand for?

2Office of the Secretary of Defense, F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program (F-35), December, 2019. 3“Fifth-generation” aircraft incorporate the most modern technology, and are considered to be generally more capable than earlier-generation aircraft.

Who is the current F-35 program manager?

Air Force Lt Gen Eric T. Fick became the F-35 program manager, succeeding Navy Vice Admiral Mathias Winter, on July 11, 2019.84 DOD has announced an intention to reorganize F-35 procurement now that the bulk of development has been completed, with procurement responsibilities moving from a central joint