US Air Force pilots lack enough sorties for combat readiness — Jerusalem Post
In the United States, many Air Force pilots do not fly enough sorties to maintain combat readiness. This was reported by the Jerusalem Post, citing Military Times and John Venable, an expert at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
Combat readiness standard
According to Venable, the average US Air Force pilot currently flies one sortie per month. In 2023, this figure was 5.5 sorties per month, but even that amounted to only 60% of the required level.
Military Times, citing previous US Air Force statements, noted that to be considered combat-ready, a pilot must fly at least nine sorties each month. Venable also said that the US Air Force has not published data on pilots' sortie rates since 2023.
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Aircraft and vacancies
According to the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, during Operation Epic Fury, the US Air Force had 25 squadrons with approximately 325 aircraft. As of 2024, the institute reported 1,084 active aircraft, including 634 jet aircraft capable of carrying out missions.
Venable stated that 325 combat aircraft is approximately half the number the United States had during Operation Desert Storm. According to him, the US operations Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury relied heavily on the Israeli Air Force, whose pilots fly an average of 20 sorties per month.
The expert added that unofficially, the pilot shortage in the US armed forces is estimated at 4,000 vacant positions, while the official figure is 2,000. Military Times also relayed his assessment that the problem is partly linked to a reallocation of funds in 2025, when, under former US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, funding was redirected from thousands of aviation technical personnel positions.
