From the U.S. Government Accountability Office, www.gao.gov

Transcript for: Mission-readiness of DOD Aircraft

Description: The Department of Defense (DOD) spends tens of billions of
dollars annually to sustain its weapon systems in an effort to ensure
that these systems are available to simultaneously support today's
military operations and maintain the capability to meet future defense
requirements. This report provides observations on mission capable rates
and costs to operate and sustain 49 fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft in
the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.

Related GAO Works: GAO-23-106217.  Weapon System Sustainment: Aircraft
Mission Capable Goals were Generally Not met and Sustainment Costs
Varied

Released: November 2023

DOD spends tens of billions of dollars every year to sustain its fighter
jets, helicopters, cargo planes and other aircraft. 

But how many of those aircraft are ready for takeoff and able to
complete missions?

We looked at 49 types of military aircraft and found only 4 met annual
mission readiness goals from 2011 through 2021, with an overall decline
over time.  

Why did this happen? We found several causes including aging aircraft,
maintenance challenges, and problems with parts and supplies.

We also reviewed the costs of operating and maintaining these aircraft.
We found the military spent about $54 billion in 2020.

To learn more, check out our report at GAO.gov.

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For more info, check out our report GAO-23-106217 at: GAO.gov