The Pentagon Hides Its F-35 Failures, But the Swiss Are Buying Anyway

The Pentagon has decided that the latest Government Accountability Office audit of the F-35 stealth fighter is simply not for public consumption. For the first time in the troubled history of the aircraft, a GAO report detailing production and modernization hurdles has been actively suppressed in the United States. The decision, confirmed to the Swiss broadcaster RTS, masks a reality that aviation experts find increasingly difficult to ignore. The aircraft is suffering from severe schedule delays, with completion dates for numerous production projects quietly pushed into the future.

The suppressed document paints a picture of a flagship military asset struggling with fundamental engineering and logistical hurdles. Chief among these are modernization problems tied to avionics and computer hardware. The jet also exhibits a distinct tendency to overheat, turning its propulsion and cooling systems into persistent logistical nightmares. Coupled with a chronic shortage of spare parts, these technical defects mean the aircraft spends a vast majority of its time completely unable to fly missions. The sheer scale of the delays indicates a weapons program fighting very serious difficulties.

Operational readiness statistics offer a stark contrast to initial sales pitches. When the Swiss Federal Council selected the F-35A as its new fighter jet in 2021, Washington promised an operational readiness rate of 67 percent. According to the concealed GAO report, that figure has plummeted to a mere 44 percent. Bill Sweetman, an aviation expert and former manager at Northrop Grumman, notes that the long-held assumption of gradual improvement has proven false. Instead of faster repairs and fewer breakdowns, operators are facing lower availability and the necessity for far greater investments in maintenance.

In Bern, however, the mood remains remarkably buoyant. The Swiss Air Force, characteristically well-funded and seemingly insulated from the Pentagon’s panic, views the plummeting readiness rates with supreme indifference. Cédric Aufranc, the operational manager for the F-35 in Switzerland, insists that the military has calculated its spare parts inventory to guarantee required operations. In a display of classic Swiss naivety, the air force ordered an additional package of spare parts, theoretically allowing them to operate the jets even if manufacturer support vanishes entirely.

Whether a stockpile of extra hardware can cure a structurally overheating stealth fighter is a question the Swiss military leadership has cheerfully chosen to ignore. The first F-35 destined for Switzerland entered final assembly in the United States this spring. Assuming the ever-shifting production schedules hold, the initial batch of these persistently grounded marvels of modern engineering is expected to arrive in the Alpine nation by 2028.

Written by Martina Kirchner martina.kirchner@alpineweekly.com