Miloch wrote in
:

In article , Mitchell
Holman says...

Miloch wrote in
:

https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-w...0-mission-capa
bi
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...og/the-f-4c-ph
antom-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.


For what it is worth I have the same issue
with bombers..........