A recent report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has criticised a USAF decision to dispose of a portion of its F-22 Raptor aircraft fleet used primarily for training rather than upgrade them.

The June 2024 report, entitled Air Force Needs to Better Document Options Before Making Critical Decisions, addresses divestment plans for the so-called Block 20 aircraft... Continues below

This analysis article originally appeared in July's Decisive Edge Military Training Newsletter.

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Acknowledging that the USAF ‘faces challenging decisions in modernising its current aircraft while developing advanced capabilities to meet future threats’, the report focuses on the decision to divest, rather than upgrade, the 32 F-22 aircraft in Block 20.

Block 20 jets have not been upgraded to the same level as the USAF’s 150 Block 30/35 aircraft – the modernised portion of the F-22 fleet – and the service’s FY2023 budget proposal included Block 20 divestment, with the intent to use the resulting savings to develop new types of aircraft.

‘The Air Force proposed Block 20 divestment to Congress without documenting key factors, such as training, mission capability and testing, to inform that decision,’ the report asserts, adding that the service did not document how it would conduct F-22 training or testing without Block 20 aircraft. It also failed to consider the challenges combat units may face if mission-ready Block 30/35 aircraft are used for training or testing instead of Block 20s.

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According to the report, the air force currently uses 30 of the available Block 20 F-22s for training, with these currently stationed at Langley AFB, Virginia. If it divests these aircraft, the service would have to find a way to replace this capacity.

‘According to Air Combat Command officials, who are responsible for training, pilots accomplish over 90 percent of their initial basic flight training in Block 20 aircraft,’ it states. ‘For the remaining learning objectives that are specific to Block 30/35, the officials stated that pilots receive additional training on those aircraft at their respective duty stations.’

This means that without the Block 20 fleet available, pilots would likely experience their first F-22 take-off and landing in a Block 30/35 aircraft. This would then increase the risk of wear and tear on these expensive frontline assets as new aviators often make hard landings and other mistakes.

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Additional GAO concerns were raised about the number of available mission-capable Block 30/35 aircraft if some were reallocated to training units.

The GAO provided the Department of the Air Force with two recommendations, although the USAF ‘non-concurred’ on both. The report also stated that Federal law includes a provision to prohibit the air force from divesting the aircraft until FY2028.

While a solution to the issues raised has yet to be found, the criticism is a salutary reminder of the need to consider training needs in fleet planning and the interrelationship between operational capabilities and those training requirements.

Other articles in this newsletter:

Robotic readiness – how the US Army is training for the large UGV era

Cause for concern – analysing China’s expanding international training partnerships

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