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Pentagon blocks GAO public release of F-35 annual report for first time in 20+ years

The GAO said the Defence Department determined the June 25 assessment of the US$1.6 trillion F-35 program contained Controlled Unclassified Information, limiting what the public can see to the report title.

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The Pentagon has blocked the public release of a congressionally mandated annual Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on the F-35 fighter jet programme for the first time in more than 20 years, according to the SCMP Economy.

GAO said Defence Department officials concluded its yearly assessment of the US$1.6 trillion programme contained Controlled Unclassified Information, meaning none of the report could be released to the public, SCMP Economy reported.

Only the title of the June 25 assessment is available, “F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: Update on Production and Modernisation Efforts,” while lawmakers on Congress’s four defence committees continued to receive the full update, SCMP Economy said.

GAO noted it has covered F-35 acquisition annually since Congress mandated reviews beginning in 2005, with the restricted public release marking the first year any acquisition review was determined to contain CUI, SCMP Economy reported.

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