{"id":2708,"date":"2026-06-24T17:40:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T17:40:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=2708"},"modified":"2026-06-24T17:40:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T17:40:02","slug":"pentagon-defends-f-35-to-lawmakers-after-questions-from-recent-gao-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=2708","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon defends F-35 to lawmakers after questions from recent GAO report"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>The F-35 Lightning II is the Pentagon\u2019s most expensive single weapon system at $80 million to $100 million apiece, but analysts say the program hasn\u2019t met performance goals while sustainment costs continue to increase.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=2706\">Trump: Senate approval of war powers resolution makes negotiations with Iran \u2018more difficult\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Government Accountability Office recently released a report about the F-35 program and a $13.7 billion strategy the Defense Department launched last year to improve the readiness of the jet fighters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe strategy aims to address challenges we\u2019ve identified, such as a lack of spare parts,\u201d the GAO watchdog group said in their June 11 study. \u201cHowever, we found that multiple issues could threaten its success \u2014 such as constrained industry capacity to meet increasing demand for parts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Gregory L. Masiello, executive officer of the F-35 Lightning II\u2019s program office, told lawmakers Tuesday that the F-35 is the cornerstone of U.S. airpower policy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor the U.S. and for many of our allies and partners, this is the capacity fighter at scale. There isn\u2019t anything else like it in what it does,\u201d Gen. Masiello said during a hearing of the Airland subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy job, and the job of our Joint Program Office is to ensure that our globally-deployed or deployable fleet for the U.S. and our allies and partners is ready, is affordable, is lethally effective, and survivable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>More than 1,300 operational F-35 jets have rolled off the assembly line, with about 830 being flown by the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Air Force. The remaining fighters are with more than 20 partner nations that are part of the F-35 program, Gen. Masiello said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe program is truly joint,\u201d Gen. Masiello said.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Kevin Cramer, the North Dakota Republican who chairs the Airland Subcommittee, said the F-35 is a cornerstone of American air power and one of the most consequential defense programs in a generation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe F-35 is a strategic asset that strengthens deterrence, enhances interoperability, and reinforces the alliances and partnerships that underpin global security,\u201d Mr. Cramer said. \u00a0\u201cIts success among our allies and partners is a testament to both its unmatched capabilities and its ability to enable seamless operations alongside United States forces.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=2704\">A moderate earthquake rocks Northern California, but no immediate reports of damage or injuries<\/a><\/p>\n<p>He said the success of a program like the F-35 can\u2019t be judged solely because of how many countries have signed on.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe program must continue delivering the advanced capabilities our service members need on schedule and at a reasonable cost,\u201d Mr. Cramer said.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, the senior Democrat on the subcommittee, said the F-35 will remain a cornerstone of U.S. and allied air power for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve got new capabilities \u2026 that are slow to be deployed, despite that this is a multibillion dollar effort. We all understand that there are challenges with the new technology,\u201d he said. \u201cI think it\u2019s fair to say that we\u2019ve made some mistakes along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr.. Kelly said he considers himself a strong supporter of the F-35 Lightning II program.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIts capability is not like anything we\u2019ve really had before, but that also means that if we\u2019re going to continue to support it, we need accountability,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need to have a clear understanding of how the [Defense Department] is improving readiness, controlling costs, and ensuring that the program delivers on the promises.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Recent U.S. military operations such as Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury \u2014 both aimed at eliminating Iran\u2019s nuclear ambitions \u2014 have demonstrated the capability of the F-35 and its crew, Gen. Masiello said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have been told by many operators that this is the only aircraft that can hit some of the targets that it was able to hit, and see everything that [it] could to actually act as a quarterback of the joint force,\u201d Gen. Masiello said.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=2702\">Mamdani\u2019s socialist picks sweep three primaries<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The F-35 Lightning II is the Pentagon&#8217;s most expensive single weapon system at $80 million to $100 million apiece, but analysts say the program hasn&#8217;t met performance goals while sustainment costs continue to increase.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2707,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-security"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Pentagon defends F-35 to lawmakers after questions from recent GAO report - 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