A Pentagon audit revealed that the US Air Force drastically overpaid for spare parts for Boeing’s C-17 transport aircraft, with bathroom soap dispensers costing over 80 times their commercial value—a 7,943% markup.
The investigation, prompted by a Department of Defense Hotline allegation, found that nearly $1 million was overpaid on a range of parts due to inadequate oversight. The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (OIG) highlighted that a lack of cost validation and historical price data allowed inflated prices, affecting about 26% of reviewed parts valued at $4.3 million.
The OIG noted that over half of the parts examined could not be assessed fully, leaving $22 million worth of parts unchecked. Inspector General Robert P. Storch warned that these overpayments could hinder C-17 readiness by limiting available parts.
Boeing has stated it will cooperate with the OIG and attributed some of the price discrepancies to military-specific specifications. The Air Force is urged to implement stronger controls on contract pricing to avoid further overpayments.
