UK sent 24 F-35s to Middle East without enough spare parts, PAC says

May 15, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

A British parliamentary watchdog has sharply criticized the Ministry of Defense (MoD) after revealing that the UK deployed 24 F-35B fighter jets aboard an aircraft carrier with spare parts packages designed to support only half that number of aircraft.

Pictured: British F35 of 207 Squadron RAF; Credit: Royal Navy HMS Prince of Wales, Britain's newest aircraft carrier, is another step closer to full operational capability today, as the world leading F-35B Lightning stealth fighter landed on the flight deck of the 65,000-tonne leviathan for the first time off the UK coast. Squadron Leader Will of the 207 Squadron RAF became the first ever fixed wing pilot to land on the carrier. The sky was blue and the sea was calm as history was made. HMS Prince of Wales, steamed into position to accept the aircraft which touched down onto the vast Flight Deck with precision, amongst an air of excitement from the ship’s crew. The jet and ship were operating together in order to conduct a range of tests known as Sea Acceptance Trials. These test the ship’s ability to not only receive and launch the jets but also maintain near continuous air operations.

The criticism came from the UK Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) following the publication of correspondence from MoD Permanent Secretary Jeremy Pocklington responding to recommendations made in the committee’s October 2025 report on the UK’s F-35 stealth fighter capability.

According to the PAC, the Royal Navy carrier deployment to the Middle East exposed significant shortcomings in logistical planning and sustainment support for the UK’s fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II aircraft.

PAC Chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said the deployment highlighted “an entirely unacceptable incompetence” within the MoD’s planning process.

“At the heart of any military planning is sound logistics,” Clifton-Brown said in a statement released alongside the correspondence.

“The UK sent an aircraft carrier with 24 F35 fighter jets on it to the Middle East – with not enough spare parts to support them.”

He added that “twelve aircraft spare parts packs were sent to service twenty-four aircraft,” forcing additional spares to be shipped from RAF Marham to sustain operations.

“In an increasingly dangerous world, our military and the country need more than this half-baked approach from the MoD. Our brave fighting men and women, before being sent into potential harm’s way, must have absolute certainty that they are well-supported in their equipment, with clear and reliable supply lines,” Clifton-Brown highlighted.

The PAC said the situation underscored broader concerns surrounding the UK’s F-35 program, despite previously describing the aircraft as “the best fast jet the UK has ever had.”

The committee’s earlier report warned that cost-cutting measures within the program had contributed to persistent issues involving aircraft availability, spare parts, infrastructure, and workforce retention.

The UK operates the F-35B variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, designed for short take-off and vertical landing operations from the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, including HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth.