Pentagon has a small picture of fighter jet procurement

Federal watchdogs want to ensure the U.S. military gets the most bang for its money when it purchases new aircraft.

The Pentagon plans to spend about $100 billion in the next five years to modernize its tactical aviation fleets — that is, fighter jets, attack planes and electronic warfare platforms. In a Tuesday report, the Government Accountability Office suggested that the military should consider these plans holistically to avoid waste of money and duplicate effort.

“Without an analysis of the tactical aircraft platform portfolio and a requirement to report underlying information externally, DOD and Congress will continue to have limited information when making major investment decisions,” GAO stated.

RELATEDHow many F-35s does the Air Force need?A new tactical aircraft study is underway that could confirm what had until now been a suspicion. The U.S. Air Force won’t purchase all the 1,763 F-35As it has in its program.

By Valerie Insinna

The researchers warned that the lack of transparency may make fiscal 2024 less effective than it could be. Poorly informed decisions can put U.S. troops at risk in a potential battle against another advanced military, such as those of Russia and China.

The Defense Department stated that it would examine its tactical portfolio over the next 12 months. “one to two fiscal years.” But the department pushed back on the suggestion to provide that data to Congress, saying it’s internal information that may not reflect their final decision.

The Air Force is responsible for most of the tactical aviation enterprise, while the Navy and Marine Corps have large fleets. That includes the Air Force’s A-10C, F-15, F-16, F-22A and F-35A; the Navy’s F/A-18E/F, EA-18G and F-35C; and the Marine Corps’ AV-8B, F/A-18A-D and F-35B.

Many of these aircraft have been in service at least 30+ years.