During the past year, the U.S. Air Force has faced various challenges in maintaining high operational availability for its aircraft fleets, reaching the lowest levels in two decades. In percentage terms, the institution’s “average mission-capable rate” for its platforms reached only 67.15% during fiscal year 2024, a decline of nearly two points compared to the previous period and the lowest figure since 2004.
Before reviewing the specific availability rates of key aircraft, it is important to understand what this measurement entails. It represents a platform’s ability to carry out at least one of its primary missions as defined in USAF planning (such as electronic warfare or ground attack). Recent assessments also consider factors such as the availability of maintenance personnel and spare parts, as well as the level of training achieved by crews. Additionally, logical differences between fleets deployed overseas are taken into account, as they generally score higher in evaluations.
Regarding the data, reports indicate that the U.S. Air Force operated a total of 65 different aircraft types during fiscal year 2024, 29 of which experienced a decline in their average mission-capable rates. Notably, the aircraft with the lowest availability was the CV-22 Osprey, which comes as no surprise given the numerous past technical failures that have led to severe restrictions on its operations.
On the other hand, the Air Force revealed that 26 of the 65 aircraft types improved their availability compared to previous assessments. Among them, four models achieved a 100% operational availability rate: the C-12, C-21, MC-12, and UV-18. It is worth noting that availability rates above 70% are traditionally considered acceptable, a threshold that the overall fleet failed to meet on average.
Focusing on some of the Air Force’s most critical platforms, the availability rates for its stealth fighter fleets—specifically the F-22 and F-35—are of particular interest. According to official data, the F-22 saw a significant decline in operational availability, dropping from 57.4% two years ago to just 40.2% in the most recent reports. Local defense media attribute this mainly to the U.S. Congress prohibiting the Air Force from retiring its older, high-maintenance units until 2028. Meanwhile, the F-35 Lightning II saw a negligible increase of 0.5 percentage points, reaching 51.5% thanks to a slightly improved supply of spare parts.
Among other notable findings, the bomber fleet also experienced a decline in operational availability compared to previous data. The B-1B, B-2A, and B-52H suffered drops of 3.56, 0.96, and 0.23 percentage points, respectively. In the reconnaissance aircraft category, several platforms scheduled for retirement also showed poor availability rates. The EC-130H, which is set to be replaced by the new EA-37, recorded the lowest rate at 41.97%. Similarly, the aging E-3G AWACS fleet achieved only 55.68% while awaiting the arrival of new E-7 Wedgetail aircraft later this decade.
Finally, the Air Force’s training aircraft fleet also reported declining availability, impacting the rate at which the service can graduate new pilots. The only exception was the T-1A, which saw a modest improvement. However, the AT-38, T-38, and T-6 Texan II all reported decreases, with the latter dropping by as much as 10 percentage points compared to the previous period. The aerial refueling fleet followed a similar trend, with the KC-46 experiencing a decline from 65% in fiscal year 2023 to 61% in 2024.
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