The underperforming F-35 program is a study in confused priorities.

Pick one: You can either have technologically advanced, lethal weaponry delivered when and where it’s needed, or you can focus resources on “under-representation,” “implicit bias,” “systemic racism,” and other canards of the diversity, equity, and inclusion industry. Whether you’re a high-ranking Pentagon official tasked with defending the homeland and defeating America’s enemies or the CEO of a major supplier of the weapons systems the Pentagon needs, if you choose the latter, please go find work elsewhere.

In September 2025, the GAO issued a critical report on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program for operations during the Biden years, in which they highlighted constant late deliveries of aircraft and engines by Lockheed Martin, the lead contractor on the program, and equally poor performance from engine supplier Pratt & Whitney. Overall, GAO said the DOD’s modernization effort for the F-35 was more than $6 billion over budget and five years late as compared to original estimates.

Meanwhile, President Biden and his Pentagon – not least of all Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, when he was conscious – brought an unprecedented obsession with DEI into the Department of Defense. These DEI-consumed politicians mandated things like racial quotas, taxpayer-funded gender transitions, and the use of preferred pronouns. The result was readiness, lethality, and morale plummeting throughout the Biden administration.

Unfortunately, that made the Pentagon a perfect customer for Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney, the two firms most responsible for the F-35 program.

Last June, a Lockheed whistleblower stated that the company’s executives “were so committed to DEI policies that they awarded some year-end bonuses based on employees’ skin color, rather than performance.” Lockheed also has sponsored pride parades in Washington, D.C., and in 2025 was awarded a perfect 100/100 score from the Human Rights Campaign’s annual Corporate Equality Index. That’s nice, but what about the fighters the taxpayers ordered?

Lockheed’s partner Pratt & Whitney has actively promoted DEI for years. Its leadership has prominently celebrated Pride Month, with company president Shane Eddy posting to LinkedIn a company Pride flag-raising event last year and commending its employees for helping “champion diversity and inclusion across the company.” Company leaders issued statements after the death of George Floyd affirming commitments to diversity, and company materials have highlighted DEI councils and inclusive culture efforts.

Typically, such types of DEI niceties are done on the periphery and stay out of the way of the actual work of building the weapons that the taxpayers pay them to build.

But, to use a highly technical word, the taxpayers got hosed. Lockheed and Pratt & Whitney were consistently over budget and late, yet still received hundreds of millions of dollars in fees intended to incentivize on-time delivery.

For example, the GAO report notes that in 2024, “Lockheed delivered 110 aircraft. All were late by an average of 238 days, up from 61 days in 2023.” Pratt & Whitney’s record: 2023-24: 66 out of 66 engines late, 2022-23: 89 out of 89 engines late, 2021-22: 80 out of 82 engines late. All the while receiving performance bonuses.

Any other administration would have either demanded better performance or cancelled the contracts. Not Biden – he rewarded it! Is it because of the DEI worship? You be the judge.

James Fitzpatrick is the Director of the Center to Advance Security in America, a former official in the Trump 45 administration, and an Army veteran.

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