Krystyna Kazakova20:42, 03.07.26
The Government Control Office noted in a report that the overall average delivery time for military equipment increased to more than 12 years this year.
Pentagon leadership is still unable to meet the deadlines for the delivery of weapons, despite frequent promises to provide troops with new equipment more quickly, Breaking Defense reports , citing a new report from a government watchdog.
“The overall average delivery time for military equipment has increased this year to more than 12 years. In addition, several major defense acquisition programs (MDAPs) have not set new delivery times or are delaying important milestones,” the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report released July 2.
At the same time, the Government Control Office added that this 12-year average may even be too optimistic, since those responsible for the program are not making changes to the delivery dates to take into account these delays.
“Regarding the use of rapid prototyping methods and implementation paths, these efforts also continue to exceed established deadlines and require more time to develop ‘immature technologies,'” the agency added.
The General Audit Office (GAO) has pointed to “significant delays” in the implementation of the Air Force’s T-7 program, confirming a list of problems outlined in a recent newspaper investigation into the new training aircraft.
The GAO noted that the delays with the T-7 “are largely a result” of the need for additional engineering analysis, “lower-than-expected operational availability of the aircraft due to maintenance personnel issues and spare parts shortages,” and the longer lead times required for software improvements.
“As a result, executives stated that the development program was re-planned to provide users with a full learning experience,” the report said.
Regarding one of the Air Force’s most secretive projects—the VC-25B, popularly known as Air Force One when the president is aboard—the GAO noted that the troubled program has made some progress, completing development of its final configuration in October.
Several “schedule risks” were also eliminated, from resolving cabin pressure issues to hiring additional skilled mechanics to build the aircraft.
However, according to the GAO, “other risks associated with the schedule remain, including detailed design of the aircraft interior, fabrication of wiring harnesses, and rework to address defects in structural modifications.”
The department added that the Program Office is also reviewing the VC-25B test plan so that the Air Force can take over airworthiness certification responsibilities from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Program officials told the agency that such a transition would increase flexibility in addressing technical issues, noting that “short test deadlines remain the greatest risk to the program’s continued development.”
As of October, the Air Force had approved only seven of approximately 80 aircraft certification plans and had not yet determined when operational testing would begin.Read also:
The report also raised concerns about the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) program, the first flight test of which was scheduled for the second quarter of fiscal year 2026.
However, program officials warned the GAO that “there was virtually no time left in the schedule for rapid prototyping work,” despite the Air Force cutting the test program from seven to five planned test flights.
“In the event of a significant failure during flight testing, it is likely that the program will not be able to complete all five tests within the five-year timeframe allocated for rapid prototyping. According to the program, completion of at least the first three flight tests is critical to the Air Force’s decision to begin rapid implementation and purchase the HACM in FY 2027,” the report said.
The publication added that the GAO reported that the second battery under the US Army’s MTA Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) program will be put into service “at least” six months later than originally planned due to “the absence, inconsistency, and ambiguity of missile production standards.”
The Ground Forces’ LRHW program involves the creation of a ground-based hypersonic missile called “Dark Eagle”, which is designed to provide the armed forces with the ability to deliver precision strikes at long distances in combat conditions.
According to the publication, the Army and Navy are working together on this program, hoping that the missiles can be launched from both land and sea.
(C)UNIAN 2026