Fleet wide aircraft readiness rates have remained consistent over the last two decades, but not the cost to operate and maintain the aircraft. “Our costs have increased pretty significantly just to attain those mission capable rates,” Faykes said. In the last decade alone, said Faykes, the cost to maintain readiness climbed 87 percent. An older fleet is requiring more and more money to keep in the sky.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
