| “Every day we live under a continuing resolution is a day we do damage to our military.” - Mac Thornberry, Chairman, House Armed Services Committee
Cannibalizing Naval Aircraft |
THE PROBLEM:
Half of the Navy’s strike aircraft cannot fly. This is due in part to a shortage of the spare parts and mechanics needed to keep aircraft working, forcing sailors to pull parts from one aircraft to keep another aircraft flying. In other words, the Navy is cannibalizing good aircraft to keep planes in the air.
WHAT WE ARE DOING TODAY:
The Navy maintains a five-year average of cannibalization rates for each aircraft type in their fleet, which they update quarterly. Comparing that average from the last quarter of 2016 to the most recent data available (April-June 2017), cannibalization rates have increased on 10 of the 15 airframes in the fleet.
WHAT WE COULD BE DOING:
The NDAA spends $1.9 billion, $300 million over the CR level, to allow the Navy to procure badly needed spare parts.