The Government Accounting Office (GAO) will be releasing their annual report on F-35 program progress within the next few weeks.
Given what we already know, I doubt it will show anything new. Yes it will be appreciated but there is such a mountain of evidence now showing severe program problems, that the top service chiefs and DOD bosses have a lot of explaining to do in relation to their negligence up to this point in time.
All services need a serious rethink on what they want as a fighter roadmap. The best thing that can happen is to start with a clean sheet of paper. Things like QDR are of little help.
For the USAF defining what is needed is easy. In the coming years they have 20 ASA locations to keep fit for the U.S. and territories. 10 AEF buckets is still a good idea. A reorg that includes making small, organic Fighter Groups (instead of Wings) that can be located to cover the 20 ASA areas and provide for the 10 AEFs is not a bad idea. It can be done.
The Navy needs to define how it really wants to use the carrier air wing in the coming years—ship building woes and all that. Knocking down the classic Hornet Squadron form 12 jets to 10 is a sign of the desperation and grief yet to come. Will they declare an 8 jet fighter squadron someday?
The Marines will probably get just enough done to have a show and tell of new STOVL fighters. The value of this and the quality of the platform is yet to be answered.
41 cents of every dollar in the U.S. federal budget is borrowed money.
