Pentagon report highlights F-35 reliability problems

Elon Musk recently attacked America’s most expensive weapons system, the F-35 fighter jet. His comments on social media came after a recently declassified Pentagon report revealed ongoing reliability and maintenance problems with the state-of-the-art stealth planes specifically designed for air superiority and strike missions.

After six years of testing, the report highlights guns that miss targets, unreliable diagnostics, and unresolved cyberdefense vulnerabilities.

The F-35 program, with electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, is projected to cost $1.8 trillion over its lifecycle yet remains below performance expectations, with repairs taking twice as long as required.

Key performance failures identified
The 25mm cannon on Air Force variants frequently failed to hit targets due to design flaws.

Additionally, the aircraft’s fault-diagnosis system triggered false alarms once per hour, far exceeding the one per 50-hour requirement. Missions often proceeded with jets lacking full stealth coatings, which impacted performance.

Despite these issues, the Pentagon approved full-rate production in March, even as the Air Force struggled with parts shortages and maintenance delays. The US plans to acquire 2,456 jets, with over 1,000 already delivered.

Lockheed insists the jets meet performance goals, though concerns about cyber threats and operational readiness persist.