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According to the US Accounting Chamber, the production of the F-35 fighter is facing increasing costs and delays. But the more aircraft are produced before the final completion of the tests, the higher the risk that thorough modernization work will be required if problems are detected. In other words, the fighters will have to be brought to mind after they are put into operation by American aviation.
The US military department is ready to buy a third of all F-35 fighters even before it is finally established that the aircraft is ready to move to the stage of full-scale production. The Ministry of Defense has not yet authorized the start of full-scale production of F-35 fighters. Now the solution of the problems that have arisen in the production of aircraft is continuing.
By the end of spring 2022, it is planned to complete the aircraft development program. However, aircraft supplied to the armed forces periodically encounter problems. The leak of information about these problems does not contribute to the growth of the attractiveness of F-35 aircraft on a global scale.
In the end, the American military department, because of its haste, may face the fact that some of the aircraft will have to be withdrawn from the units and sent for revision. The F-35 Lightning II joint Strike fighter program remains the most expensive weapons system program of the US Department of Defense. According to estimates of the US Accounting Chamber, the purchase, operation and support of the latest fighters will cost more than $ 1.7 trillion. The Ministry of Defense has been working on upgrading the capabilities of the F-35 aircraft for 4 years.
A separate issue is a complex logistics system called ALIS. In 2020, the Pentagon made attempts to improve ALIS after years of concerns about its performance. In 2020, the US Department of Defense was recommended to develop a strategy to modernize its logistics system. The Military Department has agreed with these recommendations and is currently working on taking appropriate measures. However, there is no result yet.
