{"id":135928,"date":"2018-06-01T09:00:31","date_gmt":"2018-06-01T09:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/06\/01\/some-of-the-oldest-f-35s-on-the-globe-are-forced-to-sit-and-wait-for-upgrades\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:03:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:03:13","slug":"some-of-the-oldest-f-35s-on-the-globe-are-forced-to-sit-and-wait-for-upgrades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2018\/06\/01\/some-of-the-oldest-f-35s-on-the-globe-are-forced-to-sit-and-wait-for-upgrades\/","title":{"rendered":"Marine Corps F-35s dogged by parts shortages"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-smg-jwplayer-video\"><atype-video-jwplayer nostick=\"true\" playlisturl=\"https:\/\/cdn.jwplayer.com\/v2\/playlists\/fCzRqMW8?tags=155b6494-87c9-4598-b208-dfd495ac88e5\" poster=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/video-poster-155b6494-87c9-4598-b208-dfd495ac88e5.jpg\" aspectratio=\"16 \/ 9\" mute autostart=\"false\"><\/atype-video-jwplayer><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">At Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina, both British and American pilots are learning how to fly the F-35B. (Jeff Martin\/Staff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, S.C. \u2014 The Marine Corps\u2019 premier F-35 training squadron is churning out new pilots, but low availability of spare parts and the jet\u2019s logistics system <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2018\/04\/27\/the-corps-struggles-to-maintain-the-f-35-overseas-as-after-action-reports-enter-an-echo-chamber\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">continue to cause a headache for the maintainers<\/a> at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2018\/05\/21\/uk-f-35-pilots-get-in-gear-to-bring-the-joint-strike-fighter-to-britain\/\">MCAS Beaufort in South Carolina<\/a> is home to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron (VMFAT) 501, the service\u2019s hub for pilots learning to fly the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2018\/05\/04\/marine-f-35b-forced-to-land-over-fuel-issue\/\">short takeoff, vertical landing F-35B variant<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But when Defense News visited the base on May 17, maintainers at the base echoed concerns heard around the F-35 enterprise: As home to some of the military\u2019s oldest F-35s, aircraft availability is suffering as planes sit waiting for spare parts and for key hardware and software modifications. <\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2018\/04\/03\/marines-set-more-milestones-with-f-35b\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"161\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/f-35.jpg_813ed2.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Marines set more milestones with F-35B<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 out of Yuma, Arizona, conducted its first flight operations with the F-35B Lightning II.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When maintainers enter in orders for components needed to repair the jet, the F-35\u2019s Autonomic Logistics Information System \u2014 which walks users through maintenance and helps manage the supply chain \u2014 will sometimes project an expected arrival of \u201ca couple years out,\u201d said Sgt. Pedro, a maintenance controller from VMFAT-501. Defense News agreed not to publish last names of Marines associated with VMFAT-501 due to security concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat\u2019s [just] a forecasting,\u201d Pedro quickly added. \u201cThen we make a call and find out where it\u2019s actually at, and so we get the parts sooner than what the forecast date is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the features of ALIS allows it to see the number and types of parts available across the entire supply chain, which is shared by the U.S. services and international F-35 operators. The system can reprioritize parts, so sometimes maintainers can actually receive a part as quickly as three to five days even if a longer date is projected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, it\u2019s not uncommon for certain parts to take around a month, Pedro said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In some scenarios, maintainers will \u201ccannibalize\u201d other F-35s \u2014 harvesting parts from one unavailable jet to repair another. That practice isn\u2019t uncommon across fighter fleets and has been used to service F-15s and F\/A-18s, but Pedro said that cannibalizing aircraft is a last resort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBefore we start looking at cannibalizing that part, if it says a year out, we\u2019ll monitor it,\u201d he said. \u201cBecause the next report might say, \u2018We have that part. It was going to be prioritized to that unit, but you need it more.\u2019 So it will reprioritize that part.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beaufort isn\u2019t the only base impacted by the spare parts shortage; the problem reaches all the way across the F-35 enterprise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Due to a lack of parts available, F-35s worldwide were unable to fly about 22 percent of the time from January 2017 through Aug. 7, 2017, the Government Accountability Office reported in 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">GAO offered one explanation for the problem: the Defense Department simply didn\u2019t take into account the time necessary to put parts under contract and produce them when it was doing its budget planning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNineteen percent of F-35 parts have a lead time of more than 2 years,\u201d the GAO noted. \u201cHowever, program office and military service officials told us that the timing of prior service funding authorizations and contract awards did not account for this long lead time to procure parts, resulting in parts that were late to meet the military services\u2019 operational needs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Lockheed Martin team recently visited MCAS Beaufort and spoke with pilots, maintainers and base leadership on how it could help Marines get spare parts quicker and discuss other sustainment problems, Lockheed spokesman Mike Friedman told Defense News in a statement. <\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/industry\/techwatch\/2018\/04\/25\/marines-3-d-print-replacement-parts-for-f-35-unmanned-ground-vehicle\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Marine.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Marines 3-D print replacement parts for F-35, unmanned ground vehicle<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Otherwise known as additive manufacturing, 3-D printing technology is beginning to demonstrate its utility for forward-deployed forces.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some of the actions the company is taking to address concerns about long waits for spares include: pre-funding spares before a contract is awarded; working with suppliers to improve the reliability and availability of key parts; and ramping up both industry and government\u2019s ability to repair parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The company also wants to explore options for using 3D printed parts, which can be made rapidly when old parts break, Friedman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Modifications for older F-35s contributing to low availability<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thirty F-35Bs are based at Beaufort: 11 jets belonging to the U.K. Royal Air Force and 19 U.S. Marine Corps planes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those aircraft run the gamut from those equipped with the 2B software \u2014 an early version with a restricted flight envelope and weapons carrying capability, ones with improved 3I software that the Air Force used when it declared its jets operational in 2016, and the final 3F software that allows for full warfighting capability.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2018\/02\/01\/pentagon-cant-afford-the-sustainment-costs-on-f-35-lord-says\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/f35_resize.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Pentagon \u2018can&#8217;t afford the sustainment costs\u2018 on F-35, Lord says<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Pentagon is preparing new ways to drive costs down on the F-35 sustainment.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All of the F-35s at Beaufort will eventually be brought up to the 3F standard, but doing the software and hardware modifications necessary to turn an early version of the jet into a fully-capable version takes time and a toll on the squadron\u2019s aircraft availability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On any given day, there are several aircraft undergoing modifications either at Beaufort or the Fleet Readiness Center at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina, said Maj. Andrew, VMFAT-501\u2019s assistant operations officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s always constant [modification activity],\u201d he said. \u201cAs parts become available [and] that aircraft can afford to go down for however it takes to get that done to it, the program will schedule in those modifications to those aircraft.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Headquarters Marine Corps in the Pentagon and leaders at Beaufort refused to comment on the average number of planes ready to fly at Beaufort, citing 2017 memos by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis urging Defense Department personnel to be cautious about divulging information related to readiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are unable to provide readiness rates or the number of available aircraft for any platform and especially for a specific squadron due to operational security concerns and per the guidance of Secretary Mattis,\u201d Marine Corps spokeswoman Capt. Sarah Mobilio stated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the base has had one of the lowest availability rates across the F-35 enterprise. In fiscal year 2017, Beaufort\u2019s 28 F-35B aircraft accumulated a dismal 38 percent average availability rate, meaning that only one third of the base\u2019s B models were ready to go at a given time, according to data published in a 2018 report by the Pentagon\u2019s director of operational test and evaluation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Only the F-35Bs undergoing tests at Edwards Air Force Base posted a lower rate, at 35 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"942\" height=\"628\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Vert-landing-10.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3075\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Vert-landing-10.jpg.jpg 942w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Vert-landing-10.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Vert-landing-10.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 942px) 100vw, 942px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A USMC F-35B makes a vertical landing at MCAS Beaufort in South Carolina after a training flight.(Jeff Martin\/Staff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While having older F-35s may cause some issues on the maintenance side, it doesn\u2019t affect pilot training at all, said Lt. Col. Adam Levine, who commands VMFAT-501. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAll software versions that we have on the ramp here can accomplish 100 percent of the administrative and training tasks that we have,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we\u2019re delivering these pilots \u2014 brand new lieutenants \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/singapore-airshow\/2018\/02\/09\/marine-f-35-pilots-preparing-for-first-ever-hover-landings-aboard-an-amphibious-ship\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">to front line operational units<\/a>, and there is no complaint from the customer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As of May 24, the squadron has completed training of 16 F-35B pilots over the course of fiscal year 2018, Mobilio said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>ALIS improving\u2026but slowly<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ALIS, the F-35\u2019s logistics system, has been slammed by F-35 critics for being <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2018\/04\/30\/air-force-acquisition-exec-to-reduce-f-35-sustainment-cost-focus-on-agile-software\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">overly burdensome<\/a> and requiring its users to often work around the system\u2019s limitations. As the software improves, maintainers are noting better performance, but say it still needs improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2017\/06\/22\/marine-f-35s-grounded-due-to-software-concerns\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"180\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635968322366135045-f-35b-hover-dallasjpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Marine F-35s grounded due to software concerns<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">F-35B Joint Strike Fighters based at Yuma Air Station in Arizona have been temporarily grounded due to issues with a key support system.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s slow,\u201d Pedro said, and that may be a problem specific to Beaufort, as Marines at MCAS Yuma in Arizona are reportedly experiencing faster ALIS response times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have a bunch of aircraft out there. And we have only so many servers,\u201d he said. \u201cThey have less aircraft, and their servers aren\u2019t booting up as much information.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another maintainer told Defense News that ALIS\u2019 2.0.2 software update, a version of which is used at Beaufort, is helping speed up engine maintenance. ALIS 2.0.2 marked the first time the F-35\u2019s Pratt &amp; Whitney F135 engine was fully integrated with the system, allowing it to pull data from the F135 and run diagnostics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, a number of workarounds are still needed, for instance, when that data does not import correctly, the maintainer said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Friedman, a spokesman for Lockheed, said the company is \u201cmaking improvements to ALIS to enhance the user experience, improve work flow and lower maintenance labor and material cost.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It can take months for Marines to get the spare parts needed to repair the F-35B. But what is anyone doing about it?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":40814,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":88,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[29,116,15,88],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3297],"class_list":["post-135928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-your-military"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"DXE7BLPUORA5XERMHUHF727LQE","arc_canonical_url":"\/air\/2018\/06\/01\/some-of-the-oldest-f-35s-on-the-globe-are-forced-to-sit-and-wait-for-upgrades\/","remove_feature_photo":true,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Marine Corps F-35s dogged by parts shortages - Military Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It can take months for Marines to get the spare parts needed to repair the F-35B. 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