The Government Accountability Office is recommending the Defense Department hold off on awarding additional F-35 Block 4 development contracts until an independent cost estimate is completed and the program office conducts a partial technology readiness assessment and has an approved test and evaluation master plan. In a report released April 29 , GAO also assesses the F-35’s reliability, finding that although the program is making “slow, sustained progress” toward improving reliability and maintainability, it is not meeting performance targets on...