US watchdog uncovers $85m in unaccounted Lockheed Martin’s F-35 jet components as Morocco pushes to become Africa’s first operator

The findings raise fresh questions about the logistics supporting Lockheed Martin’s most advanced combat aircraft as Morocco explores the possibility of joining the programme.

The North African kingdom is the only African country to have been linked to recent, specific reports of interest in acquiring the F-35, although neither the United States nor Morocco has officially confirmed a purchase agreement or approved sale.

In a report released on November 9, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said the Department of Defense still could not establish the status of parts worth more than $85 million that had been reported missing in an earlier audit. As of March 2026, the F-35 Joint Program Office had yet to determine what happened to them.

The problem extends beyond those missing components. The Pentagon’s records covering approximately 26 million F-35 parts, valued at about $31 billion and held across more than 700 government and contractor facilities, remain incomplete, outdated and unreliable, according to the watchdog.

Morocco’s interest has gained attention following reports that Rabat is seeking to acquire the F-35A variant. In October, Moroccan publication Assahifa reported that the country had asked Washington to train some of its air force pilots on the aircraft, citing sources familiar with the request.

Lockheed Martin also showcased an F-35 cockpit demonstrator and aircraft model at the Marrakech Air Show in October. However, the company’s participation was not evidence of a sale.

Morocco World News reported that no US approval, signed contract or official announcement naming Morocco as an F-35 customer had been made.

However, Lockheed Martin, last month, said it was seeking to bring more Moroccan manufacturers into its global aerospace and defence supply chain. The aviation firm has maintained a defence and industrial partnership with Morocco for more than 50 years, supplying military aircraft, weapons systems and technical support while helping the North African country develop its domestic aerospace and maintenance capabilities.

There is currently no comparable, publicly substantiated F-35 procurement effort by another African government. Algeria, Morocco’s regional rival, has instead confirmed its acquisition of Russia’s fifth-generation Su-57 fighter, with deliveries expected to begin under the reported programme.

For Morocco, an eventual F-35 acquisition would make it the first African operator of the US stealth fighter. But the GAO findings highlight the scale of the maintenance and supply-chain systems required to sustain the aircraft, beyond the cost of purchasing the jets.

The watchdog recommended that the Pentagon improve its inventory procedures, strengthen monitoring of reported losses and provide better training for officials responsible for tracking the parts. The F-35 Joint Program Office said it agreed with the recommendations and was developing measures to address the shortcomings.

The findings do not establish that the missing components were stolen or that the F-35 is unsafe to operate. They do, however, expose accountability problems in a programme whose lifetime costs the GAO estimates at more than $1.9 trillion.