Gaetz Raises Alarm Over Lockheed Martin’s Control of F-35 Fighter Jet Program by Chase Smith – US Politics News

Questions regarding who controls the U.S. Air Force’s F-35 fighter jet program arose in recent House Armed Services Committee budget hearings.
The F-35 Lightning II aircraft program is described by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) as the Department of Defense’s “most ambitious and costly weapon system and its most advanced fighter aircraft.”
During a hearing Wednesday, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) asked about concerns related to who is in control of the program as well as why the number of planes rated as “fully mission capable” is well below expectations.
“The F-35 is our signature Air Force platform,” Mr. Gaetz said. “What percentage of them are fully mission capable today?”…