The US Department of Defense does not know where hundreds of thousands of parts for the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter are located. This was stated by the Government Accountability Office.
What is known
The agency said in a statement that the value of the lost parts is more than $85 million. However, the actual value of the unaccounted components is believed to be much higher. They were “lost, damaged or destroyed”.
The F-35 Program Office, which reports to the US Department of Defense, does not control or keep records of components. Also, the Government Accountability Office says the office does not track or enter parts into the property records system.
Lockheed Martin supplies fifth-generation fighters to other countries, but the allies do not own the parts, but use the Pentagon’s general stock of spare parts. This includes power plants, tires, chassis, propellers, and more.
Parts are dispersed in more than 50 locations around the world. In particular, at the facilities of subcontractors, at US and international military bases, at the facilities of foreign partners in the supply chain, and at the warehouses of the Department of Defense Logistics Agency.
Interestingly, the F-35 program office spent almost $12 million on inventory, but despite this, it did not indicate the cost, total quantity, and location of spare parts in the global pool. In total, since 2018, the Pentagon has missed almost 1 million parts.
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