The Pentagon is struggling to track roughly 26 million F-35 spare parts worth an estimated $31 billion, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that criticizes the inventory system as 'outdated, inaccurate, and incomplete.' The report comes weeks after a shipment of classified F-35 parts was reportedly swiped after a UPS worker routed it through Hong Kong.
The GAO report, published this week, is the third since 2019 to flag persistent deficiencies in the Department of Defense's (DOD) management of F-35 parts. The watchdog said the DOD has made 'minimal progress' in carrying out past recommendations, including a 2022 call for periodic physical inventories that have not yet been implemented.
The F-35 program, the most costly weapon system in history with an estimated $1.9 trillion lifecycle cost, has long suffered from inventory management problems, the report notes. The GAO found that roughly 26 million spare parts are scattered across 700 government and contractor facilities worldwide but lack reliable tracking. Currently, more than 1 million parts worth over $85 million are believed to be lost or missing, and about 17,000 parts sent in for repair, valued at as much as $42.5 billion, remain untracked.
The source described the September routing as a possible symptom of a communications and/or accountability breakdown. An employee is thought to have missed an email warning not to divert the parts.
Stars and Stripes reported that the Pentagon is working on 'a live connection' for the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO), bridging its inventory software and that of prime contractors. A JPO spokesperson told Breaking Defense, 'This integration directly addresses previous system gaps to ensure seamless accountability of F-35 spare parts.' The GAO also noted there is no reliable procedure for verifying data from prime contractors, which can be 'inaccurate and incomplete.'
Analysis
Why This Matters
- $31 billion in missing parts highlights systemic accountability failures in the largest U.S. weapons program.
- The F-35 is used by the U.S. and allied nations; parts tracking issues could affect fleet readiness and national security.
- The September Hong Kong incident raises concerns about supply chain security and foreign access to sensitive military technology.
Background
The F-35 program is the most costly weapon system in history, with an estimated $1.9 trillion lifecycle cost. Inventory management problems have been a long-standing issue since the aircraft's deployment. The GAO has issued reports in 2019 and 2022 on the same topic, with the latest finding minimal progress on earlier recommendations.
Key Perspectives
Government Accountability Office (GAO): Says the DOD's inventory system is outdated, inaccurate, and incomplete, and that the department has made minimal progress on past recommendations.
F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO): Says it is modernizing its infrastructure with direct real-time interfaces to ensure seamless accountability of F-35 spare parts.
What to Watch
- Implementation of the 'live connection' inventory system and whether it effectively addresses the gaps.
- The outcome of investigations into the Hong Kong shipment incident and any resulting security changes.
- Potential congressional oversight hearings or legislative action on F-35 program accountability.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- Partly supportedThe headline says $31 billion worth of F-35 parts are missing.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “The Pentagon is struggling to track an astonishing 26 million F-35 warfighter parts, worth an estimated $31 billion ... Currently, it is believed that there are over 1 million parts, worth more than $85 million, that are lost or missing.”
- SupportedThe inventory system is described as “outdated, inaccurate, and incomplete.”Latest from Tom's Hardware: “the GAO criticized the current inventory system as “outdated, inaccurate, and incomplete.””
- SupportedA classified F-35 parts shipment was reportedly swiped after a UPS worker routed it through Hong Kong.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “A communications and/or accountability breakdown resulted in a UPS worker routing top-secret parts through Hong Kong to save time. They were allegedly swiped by China”
- SupportedThe Pentagon is struggling to track about 26 million F-35 parts worth an estimated $31 billion.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “The Pentagon is struggling to track an astonishing 26 million F-35 warfighter parts, worth an estimated $31 billion”
- SupportedThe GAO report is the third since 2019 to address the F-35 parts-accountability problems.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “this is the third report since 2019 from the GAO”
- SupportedThe watchdog says the DOD has made “minimal progress” on past recommendations.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “the latest published report complains that the DOD has “made minimal progress” in implementing past recommendations.”
- SupportedThe 2022 recommendation for periodic physical inventories has not yet been implemented.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “in a 2022 report, periodic physical inventories of F-35 parts were recommended but have not been implemented yet”
- SupportedThe F-35 program is the most costly weapon system in history, with an estimated $1.9 trillion lifecycle cost.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “The F-35 program is estimated to cost $1.9 trillion over its lifecycle. It is the most costly weapon system in history, says the GAO.”
- SupportedMore than 1 million parts worth over $85 million are believed to be lost or missing.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “Currently, it is believed that there are over 1 million parts, worth more than $85 million, that are lost or missing.”
- SupportedAbout 17,000 parts sent for repair, valued at as much as $42.5 billion, remain untracked.Latest from Tom's Hardware: “about 17,000 parts that have been sent in for repair, worth as much as $42.5 billion, aren’t tracked.”
- SupportedA JPO spokesperson told Breaking Defense: “This integration directly addresses previous system gaps to ensure seamless accountability of F-35 spare parts.”Latest from Tom's Hardware: ““This integration directly addresses previous system gaps to ensure seamless accountability of F-35 spare parts,” said a JPO spokesperson, quoted by Breaking Defense.”
- SupportedThe GAO noted there is no reliable procedure for verifying prime-contractor data, which can be “inaccurate and incomplete.”Latest from Tom's Hardware: “There is also no reliable procedure for verifying data from prime contractors, which can be “inaccurate and incomplete.””