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Senate hearing: low mission-capable rates and excess infrastructure erode Air Force readiness
Summary
At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, lawmakers and Air Force leaders flagged low mission-capable rates across several aircraft fleets, cited recruiting and funding shortfalls, and said excess facilities add roughly $1.5 billion a year in sustainment costs.
At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, lawmakers pressed Department of the Air Force leaders about low mission-capable rates, aging fleets and excess infrastructure that they said are degrading readiness and deterring modernization priorities.
Senators said readiness shortfalls limit the service’s ability to “fight tonight,” while Air Force leaders described reduced facility funding and continuing resolutions as direct drivers of declining maintenance and recruitment outcomes.
“The f 35 fleet is available a mere 54% of the time,” Chairman Wicker said, citing mission-capable data and asking witnesses to explain causes and fixes. Lawmakers and service…
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