F-35 Jet’s Overworked Engines May Cost Pentagon $38 Billion in Upkeep
- Demands on engine to cool other systems has grown, GAO says
- One more cost in $1.3 trillion estimate to support the planes
An F-35 fighter jet.
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Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 may need $38 billion in extra engine overhauls in coming decades to meet increasing demands to help cool radar and other components of the fighter jet, according to government auditors.
“The cooling system is over-tasked, requiring the engine to operate beyond its design parameters,” the Government Accountability Office said Tuesday in its annual report on the $412 billion acquisition program for the F-35, the world’s costliest weapons system. “The extra heat is increasing the wear on the engine, reducing its life and adding $38 billion in maintenance costs.”