GAO: US Armed Forces struggle to keep tactical aircraft mission capable
Story by John Hill • 20h •
The US Armed Forces are struggling to keep tactical aircraft ‘mission capable’, according to the latest Government Accountability Office (GAO) review issued on 21 October.
This means that the rate at which fighter planes are flying in service, performing at least one mission, is less than is required across all the services.
Between 2018 and 2023, the GAO found that the Navy, Marine Corps and the Air Force collectively spent more than $57bn to operate and sustain these aircraft. This calls into question the apparent deficit at a time when the military ought to perform optimally to prevent the liberal international order from backsliding.
While previous investigations attributed the mission capable rate shortage to numerous interrelated and complex factors, such as ageing aircraft, maintenance challenges and supply support issues, the latest review points to another unique problem with maintaining the fleet.
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