US blocks publication of critical F-35 production report

US authorities have blocked the publication of a Government Accountability Office report on F-35 production, likely because it details modernisation problems affecting the aircraft ordered by Switzerland, Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported.

The decision came from the Pentagon, according to a source who spoke to Swiss public broadcaster RTS. It is the first time a US audit office report on the F-35 has been barred from publication in the United States, aviation expert Bill Sweetman told RTS.

If released, the report would show that deadlines for numerous F-35 production projects had been postponed, Sweetman said. The document reportedly describes the main challenges facing production and modernisation of the stealth fighter.

The problems mainly concern the aircraft’s onboard electronics and computer hardware. Its propulsion and cooling systems also create significant logistical challenges because the aircraft is prone to overheating. Together with a chronic shortage of spare parts, these issues mean the F-35 cannot carry out its missions for much of the time, according to the report’s assessment.

When Switzerland selected the F-35A as its new fighter jet in 2021, the United States promised an aircraft that would be operational 67 percent of the time. According to the latest GAO report, that figure has since fallen to 44 percent, RTS reported.

Sweetman said expectations that the aircraft’s performance would improve over time had not been met. The latest report showed that more spare parts would have to be purchased, lower availability accepted and more investment made in maintenance, he said.

Cédric Aufranc, the operational officer responsible for the F-35 in the Swiss Air Force, said Switzerland was not concerned. The country had sized its spare-parts inventory to support the operations it required and had deliberately ordered an additional package of spare parts, he said. This would allow it to operate the aircraft even without further support from the manufacturer.

An F-35 intended for Switzerland entered final assembly in the United States this spring. The first aircraft are expected to arrive in Switzerland in 2028, according to the announced schedule.