Availability, Use, and Operating and Support Costs of F-35 Fighter Aircraft

The Congressional Budget Office’s June 2025 report explores the real-world performance of the F-35 fighter aircraft, detailing how availability, use, and costs differ across the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. As these stealth fighters age, their availability and mission readiness have declined, particularly for the F-35B and F-35C variants. Despite stabilized operating and support costs, the aircraft still fall short of flight hour benchmarks set in earlier acquisition reports. The analysis highlights key challenges in sustaining the Department of Defense’s most expensive aircraft acquisition program to date.