USAF must focus maintainers on key planes as readiness suffers: Meink

[rangerrebew]

USAF must focus maintainers on key planes as readiness suffers: Meink
By Stephen Losey
 Sep 22, 2025, 03:26 PM
 
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The U.S. Air Force must focus its limited maintenance resources on aircraft that are capable of surviving in a contested environment, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said Monday.

In a keynote address at the Air & Space Forces Association’s Air Space Cyber conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Meink highlighted the service’s lackluster aircraft readiness as one of its major challenges.


“We have some of the best aircraft,” Meink said, citing the F-22 and F-35 fighters and the B-2 bomber as examples.

The scope of the readiness challenge “surprised me a bit,” Meink said.

“I knew there was a readiness challenge,” Meink said. “I didn’t appreciate how significant that readiness challenge was.”

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2025/09/22/usaf-must-focus-maintainers-on-key-planes-as-readiness-suffers-meink/

[rangerrebew]

Does this imply there aren't enough maintainers to keep the AF ready?

[DefiantMassRINO]

Maybe they should get some 3-D printers and machinists.

The problem with technologically advanced platforms is that the technology in them has a short lifecycle and will be updated, possibly many times, before a platform goes from development to implementation.

There is little incentive in the private sector for carrying large inventories or supporting antiquated parts without expensive service contracts.  The contracts only get more expensive with time.

But, the F-35 program is going to fix that.