In an unprecedented move that is provoking intense reactions, the US Pentagon has decided to block—for the first time in 20 years—the publication of the annual report on the F-35 fighter jet. The decision to classify the evaluation of the world's most costly and controversial weapons program, worth 1.6 trillion dollars, as "confidential" raises serious questions about the transparency of the US military, at a time when the program continues to find itself under close scrutiny for delays, cost overruns, and technical problems.
In more detail, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) stated that Department of Defense officials concluded that its annual evaluation of the program contained Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)—meaning that no part of the report could be released to the public. The report constituted a major "window" into the most expensive and advanced defense program in the world. This time, however, only the title of the June 25 evaluation is public: "F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: Update on Production and Modernization Efforts".
"The GAO has covered the procurement of the F-35 on an annual basis since Congress mandated the relevant evaluations, starting in 2005," said Jon Ludwigson, director of the agency's national security contracting and acquisitions office, who oversaw the drafting of the report. "This is the first year that any of our procurement evaluations have been deemed to contain CUI" and have had their public release restricted, he stated. The "secret" report was nevertheless delivered to lawmakers of the four congressional defense committees, continuing "our pathway of providing updates to defense committees on the progress of F-35 modernization".
Cost overruns and delays
The F-35, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is the most expensive weapons platform in US history, but has repeatedly faced criticism for cost overruns, delays in engine and aircraft deliveries, delays in software upgrades, and for components that wear out sooner than expected. Last year's edition of the report noted that the F-35 program "continues to promise much and deliver little". Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell has previously stated that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth led "the most transparent Department of Defense in history".
The watchdog's annual performance report offers the public a unique, detailed evaluation of one of the Pentagon's most closely monitored weapons programs, with previous assessments revealing critical delays related to major software, hardware, and engine upgrades. The evaluations have also proven to be valuable guides for lawmakers around the world whose countries have purchased the aircraft—including the United Kingdom, Israel, Japan, and Poland. The CUI designation has been criticized for years by lawmakers due to its broad and vague definitions, essentially allowing the Department of Defense to block the release of information it does not want to see the light of day, even if none of the details are classified.
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