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Open Recommendations

B-52 Bomber: Air Force Actions Needed to Improve Major Modernization and Sustainment Efforts
GAO-26-109272
Jul 31, 2026
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6 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should delay the CERP production decision until the program office conducts an analysis that accounts for recent cost growth and schedule delays to understand the risks and benefits associated with the timing of the CERP production decision. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that the program office assesses the practicality, benefits, and affordability of implementing digital engineering in current modernization programs. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that the B-52 Modernization Platform Integration Plan is updated to reflect the prioritization of all B-52 modernization programs. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that the B-52 Modernization program updates the Platform Integration Plan to more clearly align program work to the Air Force's B-52 Modernization strategic goals, by identifying risk mitigations associated with maintaining multiple configurations. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure the B-52 program office updates the B-52 repair plans to account for potential delays in the modernizations. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should issue guidance clarifying the roles and responsibilities for the life cycle management of B-52 specific support equipment. (Recommendation 6)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Navy Ship Modernization: DOD Needs Comprehensive Strategy to Field Hypersonic Missile Capability
GAO-26-107974
Jul 17, 2026
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, in coordination with the Secretaries of the Navy and Army, develops a comprehensive strategy that outlines how all programs involved with delivering CPS portfolio capability should coordinate and regularly review investment decisions. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Weapon Systems Annual Assessment: Requiring Mature Technologies Could Enable Shift to Rapid Delivery
GAO-26-108457
Jul 02, 2026
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that acquisition policies for programs intending to rapidly deliver capabilities that integrate multiple technologies, including those using the MTA pathway, require that such programs initiate with only technologies considered mature or develop associated immature technologies separate from the program effort. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

F-35 Sustainment: Actions Needed to Ensure Updated Strategy Improves Persistent Readiness Challenges
GAO-26-108113
Jun 11, 2026
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3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the F-35 Program Executive Officer proactively develops risk mitigation plans—including, but not limited to, for risks such as access to technical data, industry capacity, affordability, and alignment with service goals—associated with sustainment improvement initiatives such as the GSS Reset. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense, through the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, in consultation with the F-35 Program Executive Officer, should ensure future incentive approaches better achieve the desired performance for sustainment contracts. Such approaches could include adopting penalties for poor performance, reevaluating incentive threshold levels to improve performance to meet service requirements, or omitting performance incentives. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, in consultation with the F-35 Program Executive Officer, develops and implements a system with quality control safeguards in place to obtain, generate, and store relevant, quality incentive fee metric and payment information, and ensure that procedures for documenting changes to the contract are followed. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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