The Pentagon’s inspector general has identified ‘hundreds of deficiencies’ in the JSF jet fighter programme, just days after the Netherlands agreed to buy 37 of the aircraft.

News agency Bloomberg reports that the Pentagon’s watchdog has criticised ‘ineffective management’ by Pentagon staff and ‘insufficient attention to quality assurance in the design and manufacturing phases’ of the plane.

In addition, the F-35 programme office should modify its contracts to ‘include a quality escape clause, to ensure the government does not pay for nonconforming product,’ according to the report summary.

The report says the deficiences are now being addressed.

Dutch defence minister Jeanine Hennis announced last week that the government has agreed to spend €4.5bn on 37 JSF aircraft, to replace the ageing fleet of F-16s.

However, there are still deep divisions within the coalition Labour party and the decision still has to be put to a vote in parliament.

Column: JSF – a good story or fairytale?