Taxpayers own $31 billion in F-35 parts. The Pentagon can’t account for them all.

(The Center Square) – The federal government owns about 26 million spare parts for its fleet of F-35 fighter jets, but it cannot say where all of them are, what condition they are in or what taxpayers paid for them. The department puts the value at about $31 billion, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Nov. 9, and says the real figure is probably higher because some parts are missing from its records. That's about $91 for every person in the United States. kAm%96 H2E495@8 7@F?5 E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 (2C 5@6D ?@E >2:?E2:? 4@>A=6E6 C64@C5D @7 E96 A2CED[ H9:49 D:E 2E >@C6 E92? f__ 4@?EC24E@C 2?5 8@G6C?>6?E 724:=:E:6D 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5] p==:65 >:=:E2C:6D E92E 7=J E96 u\bd A2J 7@C 2446DD E@ E96 D2>6 A@@=[ E96 C6A@CE D2JD]k^Am kAmt=2:?6 |4rFD<6C[ 2 D6?:@C 76==@H 2E E96 p>6C:42? t?E6CAC:D6 x?DE:EFE6 2?5 7@C>6C 24E:?8 !6?E28@? 4@>AEC@==6C[ E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 E92E 3642FD6 E96 A2CED 2C6 ?@E EC24<65 :? C62= E:>6[ QE96 C6DF=E 42? 36 C6A62E 3FJ:?8 2?5^@C =24< @7 A2CED H96? 2?5 H96C6 E96J 2C6 ?66565]Qk^Am kAmvp~ 92D 7=28865 E96 D2>6 244@F?E23:=:EJ AC@3=6>D D:?46 a_`h] %96 ?6H C6A@CE D2JD ae @7 E96 bc C64@>>6?52E:@?D vp~ 2?5 E96 !6?E28@?VD :?DA64E@C 86?6C2= 92G6 >256 @? u\bd 7:?2?4:2= >2?286>6?E H6C6 DE:== @A6? 2D @7 pF8FDE]k^Am kAmx? a_ab[ vp~ C6A@CE65 E92E @?6 @7 E96 AC@8C2>VD EH@ AC:>6 4@?EC24E@CD 925 =@DE >@C6 E92? ` >:==:@? A2CED H@CE9 @G6C Sgd >:==:@?] pD @7 |2C49 a_ae[ E96 u\bd y@:?E !C@8C2> ~77:46 DE:== 5:5 ?@E 62? AC@A6CEJ E92E H2D 52>2865 @C 56DEC@J65[ ?@E ?646DD2C:=J >:DD:?8[ 3FE E96 8@G6C?>6?E :D DE:== DFAA@D65 E@ 56E6C>:?6 H92E 92AA6?65 2?5 H9@ :D C6DA@?D:3=6]k^Am kAm%96 4@?EC24E@C 92D D:?46 C6A@CE65 23@FE Sag >:==:@? :? =@DE[ 52>2865 @C 56DEC@J65 A2CED 52E:?8 324< E@ a_`a[ vp~ 7@F?5] %96 s676?D6 r@?EC24E |2?286>6?E p86?4J 92D D@ 72C 56E6C>:?65 :E D9@F=5 36 7:?2?4:2==J =:23=6 7@C 23@FE Se >:==:@?] (96E96C E9@D6 ?6H=J C6A@CE65 =@DD6D :?4=F56 2?J @7 E96 Sgd >:==:@? :D F? @77:46 ?6G6C <6AE C64@C5D @7 E96 @FEDE2?5:?8 42D6D[ D@ :E 42??@E E6==]k^Am kAmvp~ 5@6D ?@E :56?E:7J E96 4@?EC24E@C :? E96 C6A@CE[ 2?5 564=:?65 E@ 5@ D@ H96? 2D<65] {@4<9665 |2CE:?[ H9:49 3F:=5D E96 2:C4C27E[ 2?5 !C2EE U2>Aj (9:E?6J[ H9:49 3F:=5D E96 6?8:?6[ 2C6 E96 AC@8C2>VD EH@ AC:>6 4@?EC24E@CD] {@4<9665 |2CE:? 5:5 ?@E C6DA@?5 E@ BF6DE:@?D 2D<:?8 H96E96C :E :D E96 4@>A2?J 56D4C:365] !C2EE U2>Aj (9:E?6J[ 2D<65 E96 D2>6 BF6DE:@? uC:52J 6G6?:?8[ 925 ?@E 2?DH6C65 3J AF3=:42E:@?]k^Am kAm%96 u\bd y@:?E !C@8C2> ~77:46 E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 E92E E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 (2C 92D 4@?4FCC65 H:E9 2== 7@FC @7 vp~VD C64@>>6?52E:@?D 2?5 :D H@C<:?8 E@ 255C6DD E96>[ :?4=F5:?8 56G6=@A:?8 EC2:?:?8 7@C E96 @77:4:2=D C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C EC24<:?8 8@G6C?>6?E AC@A6CEJ 2?5 3F:=5:?8 C62=\E:>6 52E2 4@??64E:@?D H:E9 4@?EC24E@C DJDE6>D]k^Am kAm%96 AC@8C2> @77:46 5:5 ?@E 2?DH6C BF6DE:@?D 23@FE E96 =@DE A2CED @C H96? :E 6IA64ED 2 4@>A=6E6 4@F?E @7 H92E :E @H?D] %96 ~77:46 @7 E96 $64C6E2CJ @7 (2C 5:5 ?@E C6DA@?5 E@ BF6DE:@?D 23@FE E96 C6A@CE]k^Am kAmvp~ 7@F?5 E96 56A2CE>6?EVD :?G6?E@CJ DJDE6> 42??@E E2=< 5:C64E=J E@ E96 4@?EC24E@CDV DJDE6>D[ D@ E96 AC@8C2> @77:46 C6=:6D @? 52E2 E96 4@>A2?:6D D6?5 :?] u@C E96 D92C65 DA2C6 A2CED A@@=[ E92E 52E2 2CC:G6D BF2CE6C=J[ H9:49 >62?D D@>6 C64@C5D 2C6 >@C6 E92? E9C66 >@?E9D @=5] x? @?6 s646>36C a_ad DF3>:DD:@?[ 76H6C E92? 2 E9:C5 @7 E96 6?EC:6D :?4=F565 2 D6C:2= ?F>36C[ 2?5 ?62C=J eT =:DE65 2? 24BF:D:E:@? 4@DE @7 2 A6??J @C =6DD]k^Am kAm%96 AC@8C2> @77:46 92D DA6?E 2E =62DE S`f >:==:@? D:?46 a_a_ 4@F?E:?8 A2CED[ 2?5 vp~ 7@F?5 E96 >@DE C646?E 4@F?E DE:== 5:5 ?@E 4@?7:C> E92E E96 A2CED =:DE65 :? :ED C64@C5D 24EF2==J 6I:DE] p 7F== 4@F?E :D ?@E 762D:3=6[ AC@8C2> @77:4:2=D E@=5 vp~[ 3642FD6 H2C69@FD6D 42??@E DE@A H@C< 2?5 E96C6 2C6 ?@E 6?@F89 A6@A=6 E@ G:D:E 2== f__\A=FD D:E6D]k^Am kAmr@?8C6DD 92D 8:G6? E96 !6?E28@? F?E:= s64] b`[ a_ag[ E@ A2DD 2 4=62? 7:?2?4:2= 2F5:E[ 2 C6BF:C6>6?E vp~ ?@E6D H2D D6E :? E96 a_ac 5676?D6 2FE9@C:K2E:@? 24E] q642FD6 E96 AC@8C2> @77:46 4@F=5 ?@E 5@ :E[ E96 !6?E28@? 4@>AEC@==6CVD @77:46 =2DE |2C49 2D<65 E96 s676?D6 r@?EC24E pF5:E p86?4J E@ 6DE23=:D9 2? 2F5:E23=6 32D6=:?6] %92E 286?4J :D E2C86E:?8 |2C49 a_af 7@C :ED 7:CDE 7F== :?G6?E@CJ]k^Am kAm|4rFD<6C D2:5 E96 286?4J H:== 5@ H92E :E E2<6D E@ 9:E E96 |2C49 52E6[ 3FE E92E D6EE:?8 2 DE2EFE@CJ 5625=:?6 42CC:6D :ED @H? C:D<[ 3642FD6 >66E:?8 :E 364@>6D E96 E@A AC:@C:EJ H96E96C @C ?@E E96 F?56C=J:?8 AC@3=6>D 86E 7:I65]k^Am