# GAO Report

The Trillion-Dollar Bottleneck: F-35 Readiness Plummets as Costs Soar

A scathing GAO report reveals that only one-quarter of the F-35 fleet is fully mission-capable, despite billions in maintenance spending. Systemic supply chain issues and flawed contractor incentive structures have left the U.S. military’s most expensive weapon system struggling to meet basic readiness standards.