F35 program may be unaffordable, auditor says

The most costly military program in history might wind up busting the Pentagon budget

By Richard H.P. Sia,   6:00 am, June 20, 2013   Updated: 12:28 pm, June 20, 2013

The troubled F-35 fighter jet, which is supposed to serve as the backbone of the U.S. military’s future air combat forces, may cost much more than the nation can afford, a federal auditor told a Senate panel Wednesday.

Michael J. Sullivan, acquisitions director of the Government Accountability Office, told the Senate defense appropriations subcommittee that current projections call for $316 billion in F-35 development and purchases from now through 2037, an average of $12.6 billion a year. Operations and maintenance costs alone will exceed $1 trillion over the fleet’s 35-year lifespan.