US watchdog cites ageing aircraft, spare-part shortages, maintenance challenges, expertise gaps and delays fielding advanced tankers
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenKhushboo Razdanin WashingtonPublished: 6:00pm, 13 Jun 2026The United States can launch stealth bombers across continents, track missiles from space and deploy forces anywhere on the planet.
From the skies to orbit, two new reports point to vulnerabilities in critical pillars of US power projection at a time of intensifying strategic competition with China.
06:54Leaked US military overflight plans spark sovereignty dispute in IndonesiaA report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) this month found that the air force’s aerial refuelling fleet consistently fell short of availability and mission-capability goals between 2019 and 2025.
The watchdog cited ageing aircraft, spare-part shortages, maintenance challenges, technical expertise gaps and delays fielding advanced tankers as key factors affecting readiness, while also highlighting frequent equipment failure.
“The percentage of aerial refuelling tankers that are available and mission capable has remained persistently below the standards that the [US] Air Force established for the fleet,” the report said.
