https://www.defensenews.com/air/2019...ment-property/
DoD inspector general slams F-35 program office for allowing Lockheed to manage government property
WASHINGTON — The
F-35 Joint Program Office has not adequately tracked government property leant or leased to
Lockheed Martin and its subcontractors, an oversight that a new investigation by the Defense Department’s inspector general said
could impact readiness.
Building the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter requires the use of government property such as materiel, special tooling like molds used to form the jet’s structure and
unique test equipment. Over the lifespan of the program, the F-35 JPO has not followed the mandated procedures used to manage government-furnished property, or GFP, and instead
depended on Lockheed and its subcontractors to keep track of such equipment, stated a DoD IG report released Friday.
“As a result, the DoD does not know the actual value of the F‑35 property and does not have an independent record to verify the contractor‑valued government property of $2.1 billion for the F‑35 program,” the report said. “Without accurate records, the F‑35 Program officials have no visibility over the property and have no metrics to hold the prime contractor accountable for how it manages government property.
“The lack of asset visibility restricts the DoD’s ability to conduct the necessary checks and balances that ensure the prime contractor is managing and spending F‑35 Program funds in the government’s best interest and could impact the DoD’s ability to meet its operational readiness goals for the F‑35 aircraft.”..........