Keeping American aircraft in the air isn’t just the work of pilots and missions—it’s an immense, out-of-sight task of maintenance, logistics, and technical skill that never hits the front page. Behind every fighter aircraft, bomber, and transport in flight is a system of people and processes dedicated to having it available when called upon. But that process is being strained, and the cracks become increasingly difficult to overlook.
It’s simple at its core: make planes safe, reliable, and ready to take off on a moment’s notice. Practically, it’s not that easy. It involves reducing downtime with intelligent repair, rapid overhauls, and continuous reliance on new technology—all without running up cost or schedule. The mission has become increasingly difficult over the past few years as the fleet grows older, mission requirements increase, and budgets decrease. Despite spending tens of billions of dollars a year, much of the aircraft just sits idle waiting for parts, maintenance, or qualified techs.
Aging fleets are one of the largest problems. Iron horses such as the B-52 Stratofortress have been taking to the skies since the Eisenhower administration, and even comparatively new designs like the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II are starting to feel the stress of an up-tempo high-end operations tempo. Some airframes are strained far beyond what they were designed for, racking up hours and pushing maintenance cycles. Meanwhile, stealth coatings, advanced avionics, and computer-aided systems of modern aircraft make ready-status maintenance more difficult. The F-35, for instance, demands specially trained personnel and strictly regulated replacement parts—so even minor maintenance is a major undertaking.
And then there is the supply chain. Taking months to receive a part is not unusual, and the wait times are mind-boggling. One unit of Air Force F-22s waited close to eight months for a landing gear part. A C-5M squadron waited more than a year for a critical braking system part. When components are delayed, maintenance crews are occasionally compelled to “cannibalize” components from other aircraft, a procedure that keeps an aircraft in operation but takes another one out.
Regulations, manpower shortages, and restricted technical data access all pile on the issue. Aviation regulations change on a daily basis and require continuous training. But qualified mechanics and technicians are in short supply, and untrained substitutes can further delay the work. Certain parts—particularly on aircraft such as the F-22 and KC-135—are behind manufacturer data rights, so military crew members can’t even carry out their routine duties without a contractor.
Maintenance facility problems also discourage the effort. Bases are missing adequate hangars, cranes, or wash racks, with others having unsafe working areas for hazardous materials. B-1B crews have documented health hazards flying with an inadequate corrosion control facility. Space and equipment limitations abroad make even low-level maintenance a logistical nightmare.
The impact on readiness is obvious. Mission-capable rates—the rate an aircraft is available to fly a minimum of one mission—have been declining for years. Between 2015 and 2021, the Air Force F-22 and the Navy KC-130T experienced some of the biggest declines, with fewer than half the Raptors and one-third of the KC-130Ts available at any time.
This is part of a longer pattern of decades, with precious few aircraft categories meeting their readiness goals in recent decades. The ripple effects are catastrophic: fewer planes available mean fewer training opportunities, higher workload for those remaining in the air, and longer maintenance cycles that divert from other tasks.
There are attempts to reverse the tide. Sustainment reviews have been mandated by Congress, and the Air Force is working its way through them as it fills maintenance gaps. The Navy has yet to complete its first review, and its timeline extends well into the future.
New techniques and technology are being examined, including predictive maintenance systems to artificial intelligence-based diagnostics that identify issues before an aircraft is grounded. The military is also learning from lessons of the commercial airline universe, where inventory control and lean processes have gotten airlines in the air reliably for decades.
But even with new thinking, the issue is deep-seated. Decades-old fleets, cutting-edge complexity, supply-chain bottlenecks, and manning issues make airplane maintenance one of the most difficult jobs in modern defense. The battle to keep America’s warplanes flying isn’t a technical hurdle—it’s an ongoing war of resources, creativity, and stubborn resolve.