NEW YORK, July 15. /TASS/. For the first time in more than 20 years, the Pentagon has blocked the publication of a congressionally-mandated annual report on the F-35 fighter jet production program, Bloomberg reported.
According to a representative of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), "GAO has covered the F-35 acquisition annually since Congress mandated reviews beginning in 2005."
"This is the first year that any of our acquisition reviews has been determined to contain CUI information and be restricted from public release," he said.
The GAO report provides the public with the only detailed assessment of one of the Pentagon's most closely watched, expensive weapons programs, with previous assessments disclosing crucial delays associated with the program’s major software, hardware and engine upgrades, the publication says.