The Pentagon cannot reliably track large numbers of F-35 spare parts, according to a report by the US government watchdog GAO. Outlets report that the issue centers on parts accounting and inventory record-keeping within the Department of Defense’s F-35 program.
Multiple sources say the GAO describes the F-35 program as the costliest in its history while also stating the department “struggles to account” for parts. Coverage frames the watchdog’s finding as an ongoing challenge rather than a one-off discrepancy.
One outlet adds a specific missing-parts figure: more than 17,000 F-35 parts worth an estimated $1.3 billion are reportedly missing from the program’s inventory system. Another source focuses on the scale of the program’s spare-parts holdings, describing a large dollar amount in inventory that remains difficult to track.
