Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
51st Report - The UK’s F-35 stealth fighter capability
Public Accounts Committee
HC 1232
Published 31 October 2025
Recommendations
2
Accepted
Set out plans to ensure F-35 standoff capability and increase aircraft availability.
Recommendation
The UK’s F-35 does not have a standoff weapon, and aircraft availability is inadequate. The Department states that its biggest concern with its F-35 fleet is the lack of a standoff weapon to strike ground targets from a safe distance. …
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Government Response Summary
The government agreed to increase F-35 availability by increasing aircraft engineers, supporting efforts to improve spares availability, investing in F-35 technical infrastructure, and enhancing supporting enablers, with a full report on availability to follow later.
HM Treasury
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27
Accepted
Department's F-35 whole-life cost approach hinders sound long-term financial management
Recommendation
The Department told us that its approach to whole-life costs gave it the right cost information for the management decisions it needs to make. It argued that coming up with a whole life cost out to 2069 was not helpful …
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Government Response Summary
The department will continue to strengthen its approach to whole life cost modelling as part of the work that is being taken forward under Defence Reform. The department already develops whole life cost models that extend beyond equipment costs, for example covering personnel and infrastructure costs too, but accepts that there is an opportunity to go further in developing and presenting a fuller and more complete view of through-life cost.
HM Treasury
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