Avoiding empty cockpits: Addressing the Air Force’s pilot shortage problem
Fielding the best aircraft in the world won’t matter if the Air Force can’t retain enough well-trained pilots to fly them, argue FDD’s Bradley Bowman and Maj. Brian Leitzke.
By BRADLEY BOWMAN and MAJ. BRIAN LEITZKE
on August 25, 2022 at 10:42 AM
Each year the Pentagon spends billions of dollars upgrading older aircraft, buying new ones and developing super-secret next-generation capabilities. But in the op-ed below, FDD’s Bradley Bowman and Maj. Brian Leitzke argue that more needs to be done to ensure the Air Force has a steady supply of the most critical piece of the puzzle: pilots.
Beijing demonstrated its growing military strength this month as the People’s Liberation Army conducted large-scale air and naval exercises around Taiwan and even fired missiles over the island. Eyeing a possible conflict with China in the coming years, the US Air Force is trying to field next-generation aircraft in sufficient quantities to help deter aggression and achieve victory if deterrence fails.
The problem is that the service consistently struggles to retain enough aviators to fly those aircraft. In fact, the Total Air Force (Active, Guard, and Reserve) was short 1,650 pilots in 2021, and the shortfall will likely only get worse.
https://breakingdefense.com/2022/08/avoiding-empty-cockpits-addressing-the-air-forces-pilot-shortage-problem/
