02/01/2026
A U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit concluded the Pentagon did not effectively hold Lockheed Martin accountable for poor sustainment performance under a June 2024 contract for F-35 aircraft support.
Despite the aircraft being available only ~50 % of the time — well below military service minimums — the government paid Lockheed about $1.7 billion without applying economic penalties or adjustments.
