Software shortcomings, spare parts shortages and corrosion problems meant only about one in four F-35 stealth fighters were ready to conduct all possible missions at any given time in fiscal 2025, according to a new Government Accountability Office report cited by Air & Space Forces Magazine.
An interesting take on 'We sell each one at a loss but we will make up for it on volume."
Or, in this case, “We can’t keep up with the maintenance on each plane to keep them operational, but we will make up for it by increasing the fleet size.”
So they have a fleet of, say, 500 planes but enough trained technicians to service only 200. Their solution? Make more planes available by buying 1000, and pay for them by cutting back on the educational system and training program.
Might I suggest that they are solving the wrong problem?