Defense economics/U.S.

Cost for U.S. Weapons Programs Increased by $27 Billion Last Year

The costs for 47 of the Pentagon’s top 78 weapons programs increased last year by a combined $27 billion, according to Congress’s watchdog agency.

“This undesirable cost performance shows the need for continued oversight” as “programs continue through the acquisition cycle,” the Government Accountability Office said in the draft of its annual report on weapons costs, which is scheduled for release this month.

Many of the programs that increased in cost did so by less than 5 percent, including a 1.3 percent increase for Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 fighter, the most expensive U.S. weapons system.