The Air Force flying hours program—which has suffered steady declines in recent years to the alarm of observers and lawmakers—will stabilize in the coming years as leaders focus on making sure pilots and aircraft alike can actually fly all the hours that are funded, the ...
The Air Force’s readiness has hit new lows due to pilot shortages, low flying hours, and aging aircraft, the Heritage Foundation’s 2023 Index of U.S. Military Strength found—leading the conservative think tank to give the service its lowest possible rating of “very weak.” The Space ...
Aging aircraft, limited sustainment funds, and still in-progress modernization are all combining to cause some concerns about readiness gaps in the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard, leaders said last week during the AFA Warfare Symposium.
The Heritage Foundation ranked both the Air Force and the Space Force as “weak” in its 2022 Index of U.S. Military Strength released Oct. 20, citing issues ranging from low readiness and misaligned investment in fourth-generation platforms to insufficient space domain awareness and offensive space ...
Flying hours dropped in the Air Force's fiscal 2022 budget request because weapon system sustainment costs ballooned, senior Air Force officials told lawmakers June 22. They said the service would value Congress adding money to the budget to help with weapon system sustainment, which in ...