Overview
- The Government Accountability Office documented steep declines in F-35 availability since 2021, finding the mission-capable rate fell from 67 percent to 44 percent and the full mission-capable rate fell from 38 percent to 25 percent.
- To try to reverse that trend, the Pentagon proposes $13.7 billion for FY26–FY31 to fund a Global Support Solution Reset with roughly $8 billion for the Air Force, $3.2 billion for the Navy and $2.6 billion for the Marine Corps.
- The Joint Program Office will rely on industry to deliver more than $7 billion in additional parts and materials, but GAO says key suppliers for canopies and the F135 engine may not have enough capacity even if more funding arrives.
- GAO found past incentive fees paid to contractors did not improve aircraft readiness, reported incomplete records of payments, and issued three open recommendations to add risk mitigation for the reset, redesign incentive structures, and track incentive metrics.
- The JPO plans a working capital fund for spare parts no earlier than October 2028, yet GAO flagged remaining sustainment funding gaps, higher projected mid‑2030s operating costs, and service budget constraints that could limit execution and affect fleet availability for pilots and units.