On Wednesday, July 15, 2026, the Pentagon barred the release of a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concerning the F-35 fighter plane program. The F-35 is the Defense Department’s (DOD) most expensive weapon system and has faced ongoing performance problems and rising costs.

The GAO, a non-partisan agency mandated by Congress to issue annual oversight reports, had completed its review of the program. However, the Pentagon has withheld the report from public release.

The F-35 program continues to attract scrutiny due to its budgetary and operational challenges, and the blocked report was expected to provide updated findings on these issues.

Sources