Air Force Risks Losing Third of F-35s on Upkeep Costs
- Operating costs may force cutting 590 fighters, analysis finds
- Half of support expenditures are spent on contractor support
Air Force Risks Losing Third of F-35s
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The U.S. Air Force may have to cut its purchases of Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 by a third if it can’t find ways to reduce operations and support costs by as much as 38 percent over a decade, according to an internal analysis.
The shortfall would force the service to subtract 590 of the fighter jets from the 1,763 it plans to order, the Air Force office charged with evaluating the F-35’s impact on operations and budgets said in an assessment obtained by Bloomberg News.