Air
Force officials at Tyndall AFB, Fla., announced the imminent departure of the first of the 325th Fighter Wing’s F-15s, caught in USAF’s legacy fighter drawdown of some 250 aircraft to free money to address other equipment necessities and personnel shortages. The Panama City News Herald reported Tyndall’s first two F-15s left Friday and all 48 are slated to depart by Oct. 1 under an accelerated drawdown initiative that includes transfer of F-15 training to the Oregon Air National Guard. According to an earlier News Herald report, USAF in March turned over a Congressionally directed independent review—with a close look at the shift from Florida to Oregon. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) has complained he had learned third-hand that Tyndall would lose more jobs than originally expected. Florida elected officials and community leaders want USAF to increase the number of new F-22s now assigned to the base. (Also see WMBB report)
Depot-level maintenance took longer than expected for nearly three-quarters of Air Force aircraft from fiscal 2019-2024, according to a new report, as unplanned repairs rise across the aging fleet. The report, from the Government Accountability Office, also found that the extent of the delays has been masked because officials often revise their target timelines after unplanned work occurs.