Pentagon ‘struggles to account for’ $31 billion in missing F-35 aircraft parts, weeks after shipment was swiped by China

The Pentagon is struggling to track an astonishing 26 million F-35 warfighter parts, worth an estimated $31 billion, according to analysis published by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) this week. In its report — published just weeks after China purportedly swiped a classified shipment of F-35 parts diverted through Hong Kong — the GAO criticized the current inventory system as "outdated, inaccurate, and incomplete."

Massive Inventory Failures

Inventory problems have been a long-standing feature of the deployment of the F-35, notes the source. The F-35 program is estimated to cost $1.9 trillion over its lifecycle. It is the most costly weapon system in history, says the GAO. But the Department of Defense (DOD) has "long-standing and ongoing deficiencies related to the accountability and financial reporting of F-35 parts," asserts the watchdog.

National Security Concerns

Possible solutions were also provided by the GAO; however, the implications are that the most advanced and costly fighter jets in U.S. history may not be ready and reliable due to inventory management deficiencies. The recent theft of parts by China further complicates an already critical situation for national defense.