US oversight body points to aging aircraft, insufficient spare parts, upkeep difficulties, knowledge shortfalls, and setbacks in deploying next-generation tankers
The United States has the capacity to launch stealth bombers across continents, monitor missiles from space, and deploy military forces to any location worldwide.
From the air to orbit, two fresh reports highlight weaknesses in essential elements of US power projection amid rising strategic rivalry with China.
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released this month revealed that the air force’s aerial refueling fleet consistently failed to meet availability and mission-readiness targets from 2019 through 2025.
The oversight agency identified aging aircraft, shortages of spare components, maintenance hurdles, gaps in technical expertise, and delays in fielding modern tankers as primary factors undermining readiness, while also noting frequent equipment malfunctions.
“The proportion of aerial refueling tankers that are available and mission capable has consistently remained below the benchmarks the [US] Air Force established for the fleet,” the report stated.