In article , Mitchell Holman
says...

Miloch wrote in
:

https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-w...mission-capabi
2019 that its fleet of F/A-18s surpassed the 80% mark.

“From April 2018 to February 2020, overall readiness increased 16%,
and pacing-unit readiness – those units required in the first 30 days
of Combatant Command war plans – increased 35%,” he adds.

Despite improvements, the end goal was not reached for a variety of
reasons, says Brown.

“Maintaining ageing aircraft is an extremely difficult and expensive
task, while new, technologically advanced weapons systems present
their own challenges,” he says. “We developed and are now implementing
a Strategic Sustainment Framework that will both improve materiel
readiness and set the conditions for long-term cost reduction by
developing multiple sources of supply, enhancing our repair network
capabilities and capitalising on conditions-based maintenance, plus
other commercial best practices.”

Details of the new Strategic Sustainment Framework were not disclosed.

F-35s and F-22s are notoriously difficult to maintain because of
complex designs and stealth body coatings, which must be periodically
preserved by hand. In particular, the relatively new F-35 remains
plagued with design and production problems resulting in some 873
deficiencies, according to the DoD’s most-recent Office of the
Director of Operational Test & Evaluation report, released to the US
Congress on 30 January.


Enquiring minds want to know what is the
role of fighter aircraft anyone. Plane vs plane
combat is over, ground attack is done by drones
with missles, the days of bomber escort are over.

What is a fighter supposed to fight?



You never really know until some situation arises that calls for it...

The F-4 Phantom was sent to VietNam with rockets instead of machine guns because
no one thought aerial dog fights needed guns...they found out quickly how wrong
they were and the F-4s rearmed with guns.

https://www.pearlharboraviationmuseu...4c-phantom-ii/

"The Navy saw no need for a gun in interceptors, so the F-4 became a gunless
fighter. Even in early models, a gun pod could be added, but Phantom IIs did not
have the predictive gun sights needed to use these pods effectively. Even the
F-105 fighter bomber had an internal 20 mm cannon, and these lumbering attack
aircraft managed to kill 23 MiGs with gun fire. Not until the F-4E late in the
war did the Air Force get an internal gun and good sights. Fortunately, Phantoms
had few limits in the close air support, attack, and interdiction missions.



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