Pentagon report exposes persistent F-35 failures after 18 years in service

A newly declassified Pentagon test report on the Lockheed Martin F-35, the US's costliest weapons system, has exposed persistent issues that continue to hamper its performance after six years of combat testing.

Problems highlighted in the report include unreliable systems, maintenance delays, inaccuracies in weaponry, and unresolved cybersecurity vulnerabilities, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The Director of Operational Test and Evaluation noted in the redacted February report that "the overall reliability, maintainability, and availability of the U.S. fleet remains below service expectations." The document, obtained by the Washington-based Project on Government Oversight (POGO) through a Freedom of Information Act request, is set to be released in full.

According to Greg Williams, director of POGO’s Center for Defense Information, the findings warrant a comprehensive review by US authorities. "The Trump administration should bear in mind we’ve been flying the F-35 for 18 years and we still can’t maintain it, keep its stealth skin intact, or shoot its gun straight," Williams said in a statement.

Despite the operational shortcomings, the Pentagon approved the F-35 program's move to full-rate production in March, a symbolic milestone given that Lockheed Martin was already manufacturing the jets at a similar pace. This decision followed the classification of the full 382-page report, including a letter addressed to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The lifecycle cost of the program is projected to exceed $1.8 trillion, encompassing development, production, and sustainment.

The test report revealed several significant concerns. The aircraft’s fault diagnosis system issued false alarms approximately once per hour, far exceeding the required threshold of one per 50 hours. Additionally, critical parts had a high failure rate, contributing to the F-35 taking "at least twice as long to repair as required." These issues significantly reduced mission availability.

The F-35’s stealth capabilities were also compromised, with jets frequently flying test missions without their "low observable" exterior coatings fully restored. Air Force and Navy models reportedly performed no missions while fully stealthy. Furthermore, the Air Force variant’s 25mm cannon failed to hit targets due to persistent design and installation flaws, despite years of attempted fixes.

On cybersecurity, much of the report’s details were redacted. However, it noted a limited understanding of the aircraft’s vulnerabilities and called for comprehensive end-to-end testing under realistic cyber threat scenarios. The F-35 program office emphasized that cyber threats require "agile defence in depth" and that they maintain one of the Defense Department's "most robust cybersecurity testing programs." Lockheed Martin echoed this, stating it had made "significant investments in countering cyber security threats."

Other shortcomings included an excessive logistical footprint required to deploy jets overseas, as well as insufficient testing against comparable "5th Generation" adversary aircraft, like those fielded by China. In only one instance during testing was such an adversary simulated.

In defence of the F-35, Lockheed Martin stated that the aircraft "consistently meets or exceeds the reliability performance requirements we are contracted to deliver," with nearly 90% of its components performing above required standards. The Pentagon program office also defended the F-35, asserting it is a combat-capable aircraft that "performs exceptionally well against the threats for which it was designed."

The program has faced criticism from high-profile figures, including former President Donald Trump, who criticized the F-35 during his first term for "tremendous cost and cost overruns." Trump had even considered whether rival Boeing could produce a competitive version of its F/A-18 Super Hornet, but the results of a cost-comparison study ordered by then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis were never disclosed.

Despite these controversies, over 1,000 F-35 fighters have already been delivered globally, with the US contracting for at least 881 out of a planned total of 2,456 jets. Worldwide, the program aims to eventually deliver around 3,000 units. Critics argue that the aircraft’s unresolved issues could continue to jeopardize the program’s operational and strategic goals.

By Tamilla Hasanova