F-35 program office clarifies $2.1 trillion price tag with full cost breakdown

The $2.1 trillion lifetime cost of the F-35 fighter jet program has made headlines for months, raising eyebrows in both policy circles and public debate. Now, the Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) is offering new context, saying the figure reflects an unprecedented 94-year estimate encompassing every facet of the aircraft’s development and use, as reported by Air & Space Magazine.

In a statement released 8 April 2025, the JPO said the figure—first reported last spring—includes procurement of 2,456 aircraft across the US Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps; fuel, spare parts, upgrades, and even inflation projections extending to 2088. About half the total cost, it said, stems from inflation alone.

Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt, the F-35 program executive officer, asked for a full “cost narrative” to clarify what’s become a politically charged number in the run-up to the fiscal 2026 budget. Criticism from prominent voices, including Elon Musk, has painted the F-35 as an overcomplicated and outdated. While President Trump has previously supported the jet, his administration has yet to signal how it will prioritize the F-35 amid rising defense costs.

Meanwhile, the Air Force is developing its F-47 Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter, and the Navy is advancing the F/A-XX, raising questions about how many aircraft types the military can fund—even with a proposed $1 trillion defense budget. No word from Musk on this development.

The JPO emphasized that three factors—scale, concurrency, and duration—drive the high estimate. The F-35 is the largest air system procurement in US history, involving development and upgrades over decades, with international partners also contributing. The program's breakdown aims to reframe the F-35 as a long-term investment, not a runaway cost.

That said, F-35 availability hovered around 55 percent in recent years—well below the Pentagon's target of 70 percent for combat-coded fighters. Persistent issues with spare parts shortages, maintenance delays, and software challenges have contributed to the gap. Despite ongoing sustainment efforts and cost-reduction initiatives, a 2023 Government Accountability Office report noted that the F-35’s performance continues to lag behind operational benchmarks.