F-35 acquisition costs increased $7.4 billion over a year, up 1.9 percent from last year, according to the 2013 Selected Acquisition Report (SAR) submitted to Congress Thursday. Acquisition costs rose from $391.2 billion in the 2012 SAR to $398.6 billion, according to the Defense Department, while overall lifecycle costs decreased $89.4 billion. Operating and support costs also decreased 8.7 percent, a total drop of $96.8 billion, due primarily to cost data updates including the historical cost escalation, an update to…
