Only 8 of 24 U.S. Air Force aircraft fleets meet parts standards

The US Air Force requested $4.25 billion for critical aircraft spares in its fiscal 2027 budget after only eight of 24 assessed fleets met its supply-readiness standard. The metric tracks aircraft grounded because a required part is unavailable, and five of the 16 fleets that missed the standard exceeded the threshold by more than 10 percent. Parts shortages also prevented 36 planned engine inductions for KC-135 tankers and B-52 bombers in fiscal 2024 and 2025, and the proposed funding would cover spares for bombers, tankers, fighters and trainers.