How Much it Actually Costs to Fly U.S. Military Aircraft
And you thought car expenses were bad.
BY KYLE MIZOKAMIPUBLISHED: NOV 16, 2022
A new report by the Government Accountability Office details how much it costs to fly certain U.S. military aircraft.
The report covers everything from strategic bombers to attack helicopters.
The report lays bare the reality that it costs far more to fly the planes than it does to buy them.
The U.S. military is the largest and most powerful in the world, but that power doesn’t come without a heavy financial cost. A new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) details how much it costs to fly 47 different types of aircraft flown by the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Army. In general, the more sophisticated the plane the more expensive it is to fly, with age being another factor.
The GAO, a nonpartisan government agency that provides information to Congress, just published Weapon System Sustainment, a report on U.S. military aircraft operating cost and availability. Operating cost, which the GAO defines as “repair parts, depot and field maintenance, contract services, engineering support, and personnel” plus “other things,” is at times difficult to nail down. Different government agencies, analysts, and defense contractors offer varying figures based on different criteria. The GAO’s numbers use consistent criteria, making them useful for comparing various types of aircraft in service at the same time.
Here’s how much U.S. military aircraft cost to fly, by the hour.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a41956551/cost-per-hour-to-fly-us-military-aircraft/
