F-35 test fleet struggles with low readiness rates as key deadline approaches

The Pentagon’s Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) test fleet has a fully mission capable rate of 8.7% compared to an 80% goal, causing one watchdog to question whether the programme can accomplish all of its initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) test points before the phase ends.

Dan Grazier, military fellow with the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) watchdog group in Washington, DC, said that the Pentagon plans to make its full-rate production (FRP) decision by the rapidly approaching end of fiscal year 2019 (FY 2019) or early FY 2020. The fiscal year changes on 1 October. If the F-35 programme cannot accomplish all its IOT&E test points by this deadline, Grazier said the Pentagon cannot make an informed decision on FRP.

Low F-35 test flight availability rates could prevent the Pentagon from making an informed full-rate production (FRP) decision, which could most likely come before the end of 2019. Pictured is the USAF F-35A. (US Air Force)

The FY 2016 Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) report called for an 80% availability rate to conduct an efficient IOT&E and support sustained combat operations. According to an F-35 programme briefing slide provided by POGO and dated 19 July 2019, the 8.7% rate is an improvement from 4.7% in May.

“It is very difficult to see how the programme is going to be able to successfully complete all the testing events before the planned IOT&E process is scheduled to end,” Grazier told Jane’s on 7 August.