The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s total cost is expected to top $2 trillion over its entire life span given the U.S. military plans to fly it longer, inflation is rising, and the Pentagon’s efforts to rein in expenses are largely falling short, a government watchdog said Monday.
Rising inflation is a major factor driving up the cost of flying the F-35, GAO said.
They will need to rip out the entire electronics suite and install newer hardware. Lockheed had the thing in “development” for so long, close to 20 years, that, by the time the planes started entering service, electronics component makers were obsoleting the components used in the plane’s systems. DoD had to enter huge stock orders for the parts, while they were still available.
Of course, Lockheed can monitize this situation too.