U.S. government questions cost of Joint Strike Fighter

The JSF was designed to be a low-cost replacement to the U.S. Air Force's F-16, with different versions also being developed for the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps and British forces.

According to the Post, the JSF project is now expected to cost $244.8 billion to produce a planned 2,400 planes. Development will cost $44.8 billion, including a $10 billion increase identified last year, the Post said, citing the GAO report. Nearly half the increase is needed to lower the Lockheed Martin-built aircraft's weight and retain 'the aircraft's key performance capabilities,' according to the report.

"While delays are never welcomed, time taken by [the Pentagon] now to gain more knowledge and reduce risk before increasing its investment may well save time and money later," the report said. It also said the strike fighter will have to compete with other expensive programs for "scarce funding."

The Pentagon's Joint Strike Fighter office said it has already addressed the concerns raised in the GAO report. The latest plan for the program 'reflects an acquisition strategy with the most appropriate balance of technical, cost, and schedule risks to meet program objectives,' the office said in a written statement cited by the Post.