Air Force Responds to Cost Concerns by Reducing Flight Hours to 120 Hours or Less, Fewer Than Those of Allies-and China
A decision by Air Force officials to reduce flying time in order to cut costs has meant many U.S. pilots now receive fewer training hours than counterparts among some European allies, India and even China, according to U.S. military officials.
The training cutbacks, ordered as part of a government budget squeeze, are giving rise to concerns about the preparedness of fighter squadrons in some areas, notably South Korea, where tensions with North Korea remain high.
U.S. pilots in South Korea flew only 120 training hours this year, Air Force officials said, and pilots in the U.S. flew on average even fewer hours-far less than a generation ago, when officers logged up to 300 hours yearly.
According to U.S. intelligence assessments, Chinese pilots receive as many as 150 hours of training a year, officials said.
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