The Briefing Room
General Category => Military/Defense News => Topic started by: rangerrebew on May 02, 2019, 11:26:24 am
-
Shanahan: F-22, F-35 Struggling to Meet Readiness Goal, While F-18s Show “Significant†Progress
5/1/2019
​––Brian Everstine
​An F-35A Lightning II pilot assigned to the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron performs a performance check with the MBU-23/P oxygen mask assembly at Al Dhafra AB, United Arab Emirates, in preparation for the first combat sortie in the Air Forces Central Command area of responsibility on April 26, 2019. Air Force photo by TSgt. Jocelyn A. Ford.
The US military is struggling to improve the readiness of its F-35 and F-22 fleets, though other airframes such as the F/A-18 have made “significant progress,†Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told lawmakers on Wednesday.
Last year, former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis directed the Air Force and Navy to reach an 80 percent mission capable rate for the F-35, F-22, F-16, and F/A-18 inventory. Air Force leaders have said the goal is difficult to achieve, due to issues such as parts shortages and intense maintenance needs for components such as the low-observable coating of stealth aircraft.
http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2019/May%202019/Shanahan-F-22-F-35-Struggling-to-Meet-Readiness-Goal-While-F-18s-Show-Significant-Progress.aspx (http://www.airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2019/May%202019/Shanahan-F-22-F-35-Struggling-to-Meet-Readiness-Goal-While-F-18s-Show-Significant-Progress.aspx)