Over 60% of US Navy strike fighter aircraft are grounded due to
budget issues
Reports are circulating that almost two thirds of the Navy's strike fighter aircraft cannot fly due
to lack of maintenance and a shortage of spare parts. The Navy says the reason
is declining budgets and Congress not passing them on time, instead relying on
continuing resolutions to fund the government.
The budget issue is also impacting the Navy's ability to maintain
ships. President Trump has vowed to increase spending to rebuild the
military.
"The services will make their case to Congress this week when the
vice chiefs of the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps testify in readiness
hearings before the House Armed Services Committee.
"If we get any money at all, the first thing we're going to do is
throw it into the places we can execute it," a senior Navy source said Feb. 2.
"All of those places are in ship maintenance, aviation depot throughput - parts
and spares - and permanent changes of station so we can move our families around
and fill the holes that are being generated by the lack of PCS
money."
The backlog is high. "There's about $6-8 billion of stuff we can
execute in April if we got the money," the senior Navy source said. "We can put
it on contract, we can deliver on it right away." - DefenseNews
The Navy has told President Trump that the critical need is for
maintenance issues and not 'new starts'. The Navy states that over half of all
Naval aircraft cannot fly. This includes patrol and transport aircraft as well
as helicopters in addition to combat aircraft.
When you don't have planes to fly that means aviators and crewmembers
are not getting the training and flight time they need to be proficient in their
jobs. This presents a great risk to our national defense that many people may
not be aware of. A lack of flight time and training also puts aircrew at greater
risk.
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