# Pentagon Blocks F-35 Report Release
The Pentagon has prevented the public release of a congressionally mandated annual report on the F-35 fighter jet programme for the first time in over two decades. The Government Accountability Office (GAO), a non-partisan congressional watchdog, confirmed that Department of Defence officials blocked the disclosure of the report.
The F-35 programme is one of the most expensive and controversial military projects in U.S. history. The annual GAO report has been a standard mechanism for congressional oversight of the programme's progress, costs and technical challenges. The blocking of this year's report represents a significant departure from established practice spanning more than 20 years.
The action raises questions about transparency in Pentagon spending and congressional oversight of major defence programmes. Congress mandated the annual reviews as a requirement for monitoring the F-35 project's development and performance.
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