$553 Billion: Military Aircraft Account For More Than Half Of US Defense Acquisition Costs

Purchasing new aircraft accounts for, by far, the lion’s share of the 31 Major Defense Acquisition Programs assessed in a new Government Accountability Office report (GAO) report. The GAO has already flagged serious F-35 delays and cost increases, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the F-35 accounted for the greatest year-on-year cost increase of any major program examined by the GAO. The planned expenditures highlight the United States’ massive emphasis on air dominance, air-based power projection, strike missions, and aerial reconnaissance.