# GAO Flags F-35 Parts Tracking Gaps

A Government Accountability Office report published November 9, 2026, found that the Department of Defense cannot reliably account for its F-35 spare-parts inventory: the program’s property system covers about 26 million parts valued at **$31 billion**, while more than 17,000 parts valued at least **$1.3 billion** could not be reliably located in records as of March 2026. DoD agreed to four new GAO recommendations, though 26 earlier recommendations remain open, and targets a full inventory by March 2027. The findings point to continuing sustainment and oversight needs, but the reports identify no open solicitation or specific contract action.

- F-35 logistics contractors should expect closer scrutiny of inventory verification, contractor-to-government data reconciliation, loss reporting, and accountable-property controls.
- Companies providing inventory systems, data validation, audit support, or logistics integration can assess how their capabilities address the documented tracking and record-quality gaps.
- DoD’s full-inventory target is March 2027, roughly four months away; contractors supporting the program can review their inventory records and reconciliation processes against the issues identified by GAO.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military, Information Technology
**Topics:** Digital Infrastructure, Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** November 10, 2026

### Government Entities
- Government Accountability Office (GAO)
- Department of Defense (DoD)
- F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO)

### Vendors
- Lockheed Martin (prime contractor)
- Pratt & Whitney (prime contractor)

### Sources
- [F-35 Spare Parts: GAO Finds Gaps in $31B Pool | MiGFlug](https://migflug.com/afterburner/f-35-spare-parts-gao-report-pentagon-31-billion-lost-parts-2026) - MiGFlug
- [Pentagon can't track thousands of F-35 parts: GAO - Breaking Defense](https://breakingdefense.com/2026/11/pentagon-cant-track-thousands-of-f-35-parts-gao) - Breaking Defense
- [F-35 Program Still Lacks Adequate Tracking of Parts, GAO Says - Defense Daily](https://www.defensedaily.com/f-35-program-still-lacks-adequate-tracking-of-parts-gao-says/air-force) - Defense Daily