The Marine Corps' version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is designed to land vertically like a helicopter. “We continuously implement projects across our development, production and sustainment operations, as well as within our supply chain, to drive down costs,” the company said. While sustainment costs have risen as the Pentagon has increased flying hours and extended the life of the program, those costs “are not fully transparent to the military services,” the GAO said. Joe DellaVedova, a spokesman for the Pentagon's F-35 Joint Program Office, said that driving down the cost is the "number one overarching priority." But as the rate of production climbs, the high-profile program will continue to attract scrutiny.

Source: Washington Post December 08, 2017 15:54 UTC