The Air Force plans to spend $3.3 billion to buy six F-35s in Fiscal 2008, but that’s not the whole Joint Strike Fighter story. The so-called “spring supplemental” for 2007 includes money for two F-35s to replace F-16s lost to the war on terror. And, there’s another combat loss F-35 in the Fiscal 2008 supplemental.
Depot-level maintenance took longer than expected for nearly three-quarters of Air Force aircraft from fiscal 2019-2024, according to a new report, as unplanned repairs rise across the aging fleet. The report, from the Government Accountability Office, also found that the extent of the delays has been masked because officials often revise their target timelines after unplanned work occurs.